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LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES 



OF 



General Grant: 



A COMPLETE LIFE OF THE GREAT HERO, FOLLOWING HIS CA- 
REER FROM THE CRADLE TO ITS CLOSE; WITH THE FULLEST 
PARTICULARS OF HIS SHARE IN THE MEXICAN WAR AND 
THE CIVIL CONFLICT OF 1861-65; HIS CAREER AS PRES- 
IDENT OF THE UNITED STA TES FOR EIGHT YEARS; 
HIS NOTABLE JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD; 
HIS TRIP TO MEXICO ; HIS LIFE IN NE W YORK, 
AND THE SAD SCENES OF HIS LAST HO URS. 



BY 



^ 



"WILLIAM RALSTON BALCH 

II 
Author of " Lives of Gurfii-Id and Artliur," " GarfieM's Words," " Life of Winfleld Scott Haucock,' 
" Lives <if Bluiiin and Logan," " The Red Jleii of America," "A Message from 
the Sea," "The Battle of Gettysburg," etc., etc. 



Ctopionsln Sllnstratcb. 




PHILADELPHIA- 

^TNA PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

188S. 



COPYP.IQHT BY WlI.I.IAM I'lALSTON BaLCH, 1885. 



6 PREFACE. 

praise. Success, power, fame, are the beacon liglits of ambition — 
no one so humble as not to wish to wear them. And when each 
and all of these are combined in the thread of one man's life, who 
can tire of the story ? 

It is this that makes Grant's life-history ever fresh and foscinat- 
ing. It is the profound and universal interest awakened in him 
because of the sorrows and shadows of his closing days that makes 
it appropriate to tell the story now. 

WILLIAM RALSTON BALCH. 

Philadelphia, Summer of 1885. 






PREFACE 



rpiTE humblest citizen of the American nation needs no intro- 
-^ (hiction to Ulysses S. Grant. His name, high graven on 
tlie tablets of his country's honor, ranks inseparably with those 
of Washington and Lincoln. It stands out far in the front, alone, 
conspicuous, like some distant star of the first magnitude, so great 
in itself as to overshadow and make commonplace its fellows. 

Abraham Lincoln, who more than any monarch that ever wore 
a crown deserved the title of " God-sent," found in the hour of his 
country's greatest peril the instrument for his purpose — a soldier 
equal for liis work, a warrior-leader able to save the State for which 
he fought, able to direct to victory the mightiest armies the world 
ever saw. Patient, unswerving, determined, Avise, Grant led the 
liosts of the Union in the long and bloody road that led to the 
altar of human liberty. No one opposed him successfully — none 
detained liitu eventually ; destiny shaped his courage to the end 
in view, and it was accomplished. He was the man for the crisis 
—an instrumentality of the Divine purpose. 

Grant's life combines every element of picturesque interest. 
Valor and merit on the field of battle cannot fail to attract all men 
—human courage is ever to be admired. Sagacity, gentleness, 
generosity, determination, military genius, are qualities all can 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



General Grant's ancestry — His father goes West — Marries— Ulysses born — The story 
of the changed name — " Fick it again" — The school-boy — "Can't" not in the 
dictionary — A load of logs — Home influences — The horse trade — Defending 
Washington — " There's nothing like leather " — Enters West Point — A letter home 
to mother — Impressions of Arnold's treason — Progress in studies — Offers to tan 
hides — Graduates — A reminiscence — Enters the regular army — Is sent up Red 
river — His modesty — A letter to Mrs. Bailey 25 

CHAPTER II. 

The Mexican war — Grant goes to Mexico — Palo Alto — Grant commended for 
bravery — Resaca de la Palma— Monterey—General Scott enters the field — Vera 
Cruz — Grant placed on the commander's staff — A letter home — Impressions of 
Mexico — Mexican productions — Minerals — Birds — Battle of Molino del Rey — 
Chapultepec — Brevet captain — A night of terror in the Mexican capital— Santa 
Anna flees from the city — Scott takes possession — Peace 44 

CHAPTER III. 

Grant returns North — Is applauded in New York — Is sent to Detroit — Sackett's Har- 
bor — Grant's love story — Meets Miss Dent — Engaged^Mnrried — Is .sent to Ore- 
gon — Admiral Schenck speaks — Grant resigns — Becomes a farmer — An incident 
— His attachment for his family — Words from a Southern clergyman — His library 
— Turns collector — Wliy he failed to be a good one — His estimate of money — 
Makes application for an engineer's oftlce — Becomes attached to the Custom 
House — Removes to Galena — Politics — A pork story 55 

CHAPTER IV. 

Rumors of war — Votes against Lincoln — The fall of Sumter — Grant visits Mc- 
Clellan — Is placed on the Governor's staff" — Is recommended for Brigadier-Gen- 

(7) 



8 CONTENTS. 

cnl. but declines— Becomes Colonel of Twenty-first regiment— Becomes Brig- 
adicr-Gcneral — Sent to southern Missouri — Takes possession of Paducah, Ken- 
tucky — Advances against Belmont — Before Columbus — The " Cairo Expedition " 
— (}rant protects property — Attack upon Columbus — Victory — On to Fort Donel- 
son— A terrible fight— Floyd and Pillow make iheir escape — The surrender. 69 

CHAPTER V. 

Results of victory — Shiloh — A day of discouragements — A hard night's work — 
IJeauregard retreats to Corinth — Victory for Grant — Slanderous reports — Halleck 
shows his teeth — Advance against Corinth — Halleck snubs Grant — Halleck makes 
a blunder — Grant establishes his head-quarters at Corinth — Suppression of the 
Avitlanchf — Moves his head-quarters to Jackson — The struggle for luka — A Con- 
federate letter — Grant thanks his soldiers — Hatchie river — Peace for western 
Tennessee — A telegram from Lincoln 83 

CHAPTER VI, 

On to Vicksburg— The story of an important struggle — The defences of Vicksburg 
—Base of supplfes at Holly Springs— Grant falls back to Grand Junction— Sher- 
man and Porter proceed against Vicksburg— Unsuccessful attempts— Grant's de- 
termination—An interview wi'ih Uncle Jesse— The man who wanted to see 
Grant— A " brobosal "—Down the Mississippi— Badeau's description of a night 
—Jackson captured— The siege of Vicksburg— The enemy in distress— Blowing 
up the enemy's works— A flag of truce— Pemberton asks for Grant's terms of 
surrender- Grant's reply— Pemberton offers an amendment— " Unconditional 
•urrendcr " the only terms— Pemberton accepts— His treatment of Grant— The 
surrender— Results of the victory— A tribute from Halleck 95 

CHAPTER Vn. 
MisMssippi opened to trade— Grant wants to attack Mobile, but is not permitted— 
kcmforces Rosccran/.-An incident—" You may stop awhile, captain"— Grant in- 
jured-Chick amauga-The Secretary of War telegraphs for Grant-Is given a 
new comman.l— The struggle for Chattanooga— Pemberton's opinion— Battle of 
l>«koul Mountain-" We've whipped 'em, general "-Congress presents Grant 
with a gold mcdal-Is made Lieutenant-General— Recollections of Grant. . 113 

CHAPTER VIII. 
ne -rcnRlh of ,hc army-Grant states the strength of the Confederates-Position 
of the Confederate army-In the Wilderness-Grant's proposed line of warfare 
-Tb. Monrof a severe struggle-Advancing and retreating-Moving toward 



CO^'TENTS. 9 

Richmond — Some shrewd engineering — On the banks of the Chickahominy — A 
terrible battle — Lee proceeds to Richmond — Grant proposes to lay siege to Peters- 
burg — Mining the enemy's works^Grant receives a visitor — " No sanitary folks 
wanted" — The expedition to Deep Bottom — The sympathy of Grant — His letter 
to a lonely heart — Butler attacks Fort Harrison — A letter from the President — A 
tribute from Scott — Philadelphia presents him with a home 128 

CHAPTER IX. 

{Preparing for a final movement — Lee attacks Grant — Jeff Davis receives a dispatch 
— " Richmond must be evacuated to-night " — An exciting scene — Richmond oc- 
cupied by Union troops — Lincoln visits Richmond — " Glory ! glory ! " — Grant pur- 
sues Lee — Sheridan intercepts Lee — The latter flees — Grant pursues — His letter 
to Lee — Lee's reply — Daring Custer — Appomattox — Lee's surrender — What 
General Mahone said of the surrender — Lee's last order — A Union soldier's de- 
scription of the closing scene of the war 145 

CHAPTER X. 

Grant's farewell to his soldiers — Makes a tour through the Northern States — His re- 
ception at Galena — Makes a tour through the South — His view of its condition — 
"General Orders No. 3" — Suppression of the Richmond Examiner — A recep- 
tion by the leather dealers of New York — Is presented with ;$ioo,ooo — Recep 
tion at Brooklyn Academy of Music — Is made General in the regular army — His 
letter to General Ord 104 

CHAPTER XL 

Grant's opinion on the parole question — Grant appointed Secretary of War ad 
interim — He opposes the removal of Stanton — Flis tribute to Sheridan — He re- 
signs the position as Secretary of War — President Johnson scolds 173 

CHAPTER XII. 
Grant a President — The causes which led to his being nominated — His election and 
votes — A summary of his political career — Some of the greater incidents of his 
White House life — San DonungOT-^Finance-^The Alabama arbitration — The 
Centennial Exhibition — The close of his public service — The third term — His 
last message to the nation 181 

CHAPTER XIII. 
General Grant leaves Philadelphia — Entlnisiastic ovations — Across the ocean — In- 
teresting incidents — Welcome to England — At Liverpool — Sights and scenes in 
the great city — A tribute from the press — An incident — Departure for Manchester — 
Grand reception — Arrives in London — Epsom races— Pierrepont gives a reception 



10 CONTENTS. 

—The freedom of the city of London— Reception by the corporation of London 
—Grant at Kensington— A visit to the Queen— Off for Belgium 211 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Arrival at Brussels— Lucerne, Switzerland— Geneva — The Mer de Glace — Edin- 
burgh— Tay Bridge— At the home of Sir Walter Scott— Glasgow— Brighton- 
Paris " Palais d' Industrie" — McMahon gives a dinner — Grant at the tomb of 

Thiers — The Mackey dinner and reception 228 

CHAPTER XV. 

The party reach Naples — Young's letter — Vesuvius as seen from the city — The road 
to the mountain — The ascent — Overlooking Pompeii — A romantic picnic on the 
lava — Glimpses of social and political life in Naples — A day among the ruins of 
Pompeii — The city of Hannibal and Cxsar — The museum — The excavation — 
Bronze Ornaments 245 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Off for Malta — Scylla and Charybdis — Among the scenes of Paul's travels — En 
route for Alexandria — The Marquis— Alexandria — Henry M. Stanley — A call on 
the Khedive — Meeting old friends 260 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Cairo and the Nile — Life on the river — Domestic scenes — Friends on the way — 
Assiout — Tomb of the Kings — The home of Wasip el Hayat — Girgel — The 
Libyan Desert — Grand old ruins — Isis and Osiris 276 

CHAPTER XVIIL 

Thebes — Luxor— The home of Rameses — Temples and statues — A Theban dinner 
— Karnak and its wonderful sights — The Sacred Lake — Who was Rameses ? — 
Resemblance to Lord Beaconsfie.d — Marks of the races 293 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Still ascending the Nile— Keneh— Eastern pottery— Domestic life — A visit to the 
Pach.!— Assonan— The bazaars— Making purchases— Philre— On board a daha- 
bceah— Memphis— The Serapcum— .\Iariette Bay— Among the tombs— Farewell 
to Memphis oqq 

CHAPTER XX. 
Tlio Holy Liiid— Its sacred associations— General Grant's visit— Landing at Jaffa 






CONTENTS. 11 

Ramleh — Ride to Jerusalem — Triumphal entry into the Holy City — In and 

around Terusalem — Walk over the Via Dolorosa — The garden of Gethsemane — 
Damascus — Smyrna — Constantinople — A vLsit to the Sultan — A princely gift — 
The slave market — The Mosque of the Sultan — Athens and the Acropolis — 
Mars' Hill— Corinth 321 

CHATTER XXI. 

The Eternal City — Roman honors — Genoa — They return to Paris — Holland — Dutch 
festivities — Berlin — An interview with Prince Gortschakoff — A visit to Bismarck 
— Reviewing the troops — Copenhagen — Through the Black Forest — Sweden and 
Norway — St. Petersburg — An interview with the Czar — Moscow — Warsaw — En 
route for Spain ... 34-i 

CHAPTER XXII. 

A message from the King of Sjiain — San Sebastian — Vittoiia — Meeting the Spanish 
King — The dead Queen — Madrid — The Escurial — The library — Tlirough the 
royal apartments — Disappointed expectations — The tomb — Pliilip 361 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Grant visits Toledo — The Cathedral — The work of the Moors — Pau — Fox-hunting 
— An exciting occasion — The start — The meet — The finish — Lislxsn — Meeting 
the King of Portugal — Literary efforts — Cintra — Montserrat — Portugal 7.'s. 
Spain 370 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Cordova-^The Mosque — They reach Seville — Grant visits the Duke of Montpensier 
— The run from Cadiz — Gil:)raltar — Trafalgar — Doing Grant honors — Ireland — 
Dublin — Reception by the Lord JLayor — Grant becomes an Ulster Irishman — 
Ovations all along the line — Belfast — Off for India 379 

CHAPTER XXV. 

From Marseilles to Bombay — The Suez Canal — Alexandria again — On board the 
Venelia — Landing at Apollo Bunder — The caves of Elephanta — Brahma, Vi>hnu 
and Siva — The entertainment at Malabar Point — 'Visit to Jeypoor— Reception at 
the palace — The Palace of Amber— The Taj — Beautiful scenes — Bhurtpoor. 387 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

rhey reach Delhi — Visit to the Kutab — Amid the scenes of the Sepoy rel)eIlion — 
The sacred city of the Hindoos — Benares and its priests — Calcutta — At the Gov- 



12 CONTENTS. 

crnmcnt House— The University — The Viceroy's country-seat — The King of 
Oude — Rangoon — Hindoo customs and society — The Pagoda 400 

CHAPTER XXVH. 

Down tlie straits of Malacca — Burmah — A letter from the King of Siam — They 
reach Siam — A visit to the ex-Regent — The state dinner — An interesting occasion 
— Canton — Dining with the Viceroy — The Menu — A pecuHar feast — Macao, 
Swatow, and Amoy — Camocus — Hong Kong 41 1 

CHAPTER XXVHI. 

Shanghai — A glad welcome — A quiet Sabbath — An imposing scene — Li Hung 
Chang — The Viceroy visits Grant — The fete at the French Consul's — Pekin — A 
young emperor 424 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Chefoo — Departure from China — Japan — Nagasaki — Prince Dati — A grand dinner 
— The musicians — Yokohama — The palace — Reviewing the troops — Taking 
leave of the emperor — Farewell speeches — Homeward bound 433 

CHAPTER XXX. 

General Grant and his party en route for San Francisco — Preparations for Grant's 
reception— The first glimpse of tlie steamer — The entrance of the " City of Tokio " 
— The landing — .A. grand procession — A magnificent scene — At the Palace Hotel 
— A grand chorus — A clamoring people — General Grant speaks — Reception at 
Tubb's hotel 45I 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

General Grant's party visit Yosemite Valley— In Oregon— Back to San Francisco— 
The farewell banquet— In Nevada— A visit to the consolidated Virginia mine- 
Souvenirs— Sutro Tunnel— Eastw*d— At Burlington, Iowa— At home in Galena, 
111— A hcaity welcome— At Chicago— Indianapolis— Louisville— Cincinnati- 
Columbus— pitisburgh—Harrisburg— Philadelphia— The journey complete— A 
hcarly wclcyoie home— A rejoicing people— Childs' reception— Many other 
''"""'* : 458 

CHAPTER XXXH. 
■n. t.ur— Start from Washington— The party— Columbia— Savannah— 
' ■' -l^ivana— San Diego Los Banos— A native ball— Cuban slave 

- ■''■^^^•^".^val—BulI.tighiing—Progresso— Vera Cruz— City of Mex- 



CONTENTS. 13 

ico — President Diaz — Mexican railroad schemes — San Antonio — Cherubusco — 
Home again 47-" 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Grant settles in New York — He enters the mazes of business — The firm of Grant 
& Ward — How the General was drawn into the whirlpool of disaster — An over- 
whelming trouble — Vanderbilt's generosity — The astounding wonders of Ward's 
rascality — A tale of turbulent trouble 505 

CHAPTER XXXIV. /^ 

Grant's desperate illness — How the disease developed — His trouble a cancer in the 
throat — The vigils of the doctors and a history of the case — The hero is bap- 
tized — The love of the people — How he was watched and tended — The removal 
to Mount McGregor — The sympathy of the world 527 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Resting-place of the illustrious dead — Several spots proposed : West Point ; the 
capital of the nation— Riverside Park, New York, chosen — Telegrams of sym- 
pathy to the bereaved family — Sermon by Rev. Dr. Newman at the cottage at 
Mt. McGregor — The funeral train on its way to New York — Scenes along the 
way — The whole country in mourning — Arrival at Albany — Lying in state in the 
Capitol — Arrival at New York— City Hall, New York City — The magnitic^.u 
funeral cortege — The temporary tomb 557 



f^ 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



U. S. Grant (Steel) Frontispiece. 



Page. 

Grant's early Home at Point Pleasant, Ohio (Full page) .... 27 

View from Military Academy at West Point ...... 36 

Battle of Resaca de la Palma (Full page) . 45 

Castle of Chapultepec (Full page) ....,..• 51 

Scott's Entry into the City of Mexico (Full page) ..... 53 

The Dent Homestead near St. Louis (Full page) 57 

Grant's Home at Galena .......... 65 

Grant's Departure for the War (Full page) ...... 68 

Fort Sumter 70 

Interior of Fort Henry .......... 75 

Water Battery at Fort Donelson ........ 76 

Commodore A. H. Foote ......... 77 

Vicksburg — The Gibraltar of the Mississippi (Full page) .... 81 

Pittsburg Landing ........... 84 

Grant and Sherman at the Battle of Shiloh (Full page) .... 87 

The Start for Vicksburg (Full page) 97 

Grant Entering the Capital of Mississippi (Full page) .... 101 

Surrender of Vicksburg (Full page) ....... 107 

Cave Life in Vicksburg during its Siege 109 

General George H. Thomas ......••• 116 

(15) 



IG LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Battle of Lookout Mountain (Full page) 119 

Grant Receiving his Commission as Lieutenant-General (Full page) . 123 

In the Wilderness (Full page) 133 

Portrait of Lincoln • 136 

General Winfield Scott 142 

Sheridan's Final Dash to the Front (Full page) 147 

View of Richmond 150 

Surrender of General Lee (Full page) 155 

View of Charleston 166 

Capitol at Raleigh 167 

Grant at the Close of the War (Full page) 172 

War and Navy Departments (Full page) ...... 175 

National Cajjitol at Washington (Full page) ...... 183 

Senator Joseph R. Ilawley 185 

Grant's Start for his Second Inauguration 188 

North Front of the White House ........ 195 

Great Corliss Engine of the Centennial Exhibition (Full page) . . . £03 

Main Exhibition BuiUling ......... 204 

Dom Pedro, Emperor of Brazil 205 

American Line Steamer Indiana ........ 211 

,^rrival of the Indiana at Queenstown 213 

Scene on the Mersey near Liverpool . 215 

Green Park 224 

Furtification near Edinburgh ......... 232 

Trafalgar Square ........... 234 

The Tuileries and Louvre 238 

DiMant View of Vesuvius , . . 246 

Battle of Mount Vesuvius 249 

The llcmiitnge 2-53 

Ruin* at Pomjjcii "58 

Kuin* at Malta 263 

nou>ci.,i, and Batllcmei'ts at Malta ....... 266 

View .f Alexandria . oen 



18 LIST OF illitstratio:ns. 

Page. 

Catlicilral of St. Basil, Moscow 359 

Mosque of Cordova 380 

The Suez Caual 388 

General Grant En-route for India (Full page) 389 

Red Sea Entrance to the Suez Canal 390 

Tlie Taj—" The most Beautiful Building in the World " (Full page) . 397 

King's Palace at Delhi (Full page) 403 

Pagoda of Rangoon (Full page) 409 

Dancing-women of Siam ........•• 415 

Sending Written Prayers to Heaven (Full page) 421 

Tea Gardens of Shanghai (Full page) 427 

Bridge at Pekin (Full page) 431 

Japanese House of the better class (Full page) . ..... 439 

Temple at Yokohama (Full page) 445 

Nearing the Golden Gate, California (Full page) 453 

General Grant and Party in a Nevada Mine (Full page) .... 461 

Medal Struck in the Grant Parade at Philadelphia 472 

Reception at Philadelphia (Full page) 473 

Interior of Palace Car " President " 476 

Pulaski Monument at Savannah (Full page) 479 



En -route for San Diego 



482 



Travelling by Volante in Cuba (Full page) 487 

Dancing the "Zapnteo" (Full page) 489 

"A Leading Occupation" ...-••••• ^"^^ 

Progresso (Full page) ....-••••• ^"^ 

Grant's Residence in New York ^"" 

Tender Care of the Dying Hero (Full page) 533 

Cottage at Mount McGregor ....'•••• ^'^' 

Rev. J. P. Newman, D. D ^^^ 

Grand Central Depot, New York (Full page) 601 

Front Entrance City Hall, New York (Full page) 6i 5 

Maior-General Winfield Scott Hancock 607 

:Mourning Decorations on Broadway, New York (Full page) . . . 609 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 17 

Pack. 

977 
Oriental Bazanv 

079 
Eastern Donkeys 

View of the Nile (Full page) 281 

Tomb of the Kmgs -''^ 

I'asha Villa, occupied by General Grant (Full page) .... 285 

'N7 

Group of Bedouins '"^' 

Ruins at Thebes (Full page) . . * -89 

00 1 

Ruins at Thebes ■^"^■* 

The Plains of Thebes (Full page) 297 

Kgvpiian Architecture -^^ 

Karnak '"^1 

Hieroglyphics— a Battle-scene -^^^3 

Hieroglyphics — Storming a City . . • 305 

Totter at work ^^8 

Arch near Keneh ........••• ^^1" 

The Plains of Memphis (Full page) ........ 310 

JitTa • 322 

Peasant W'Dinan of the East ......... 323 

Ramlch 324 

.\n Ea-tern Dining-room .......... 328 

\'ia D..lorosa 329 

David's Tomb, Mount Zion C31 

Valley of Jehoshaphat 333 

Scene on the River Jordan 335 

A Dancing-girl of Damascus 236 

Constanlinople (Full page) 337 

Exterior View of a Turkish House 339 

Interiur View of a Turkish House 340 

Tlic Acropolis at Athens 342 

Venice (Full page) 347 

Florence (I'ull page) 349 

Ca»tlc in Germany (Full page) 355 

Mountain Pass in Norway 357 



LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES 



OP 



GENERAL U. S. GRANT. 



(23) 



Yanqiiisf^ES. 



I. 

Not by the ball or brand 
Sped by a mortal hand, 
Not by the lightning stroke 
Wlien fiery tempests broke— 
Not 'mid the ranks of war 
Fell the great conqueror. 

II. 

Unmoved, undismayed, 

In the crash and carnage of the cannonade — 

Eye that dimmed not, hand that failed not, 

Brain that swerved not, heart that quailed not, 

Steel nerve, iron form — 

The dauntless spirit that o'erruled the storm. 

III. 

While the hero peaceful slept 
A foeman to his chamber crept, 
Lightly to the slumberer came, 
Touched his brow and breathed his name. 
O'er the stricken brow there passed 
Suddenly an icy blast. 

IV. 

The hero rose, undismayed, 

Saluted death, and sheathed his blade. 

V. 

The conqueror of a hundred fields 
To a mightier conqueror yields; 
No mortal foeman's l>low 
Laid the great soldier low ; 
Victor in his latest breatli — 
Vaniiuishcd but by death. 

Francis T. Browne. 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



CHAPTER I. 

GENERAL GRANT'S ANCESTRY — HIS FATHER GOES WEST 

MARRIES ULYSSES BORN THE STORY OF THE CHANGED 

NAME — " FICK IT AGAIN " THE SCHOOL-BOY " CAN't " 

NOT IN THE DICTIONARY A LOAD OF LOGS HOME 

INFLUENCES THE HORSE TRADE DEFENDING WASH- 
INGTON " there's nothing LIKE LEATHER " ENTERS 

WEST POINT A LETTER HOME TO MOTHER IMPRES- 
SIONS OF Arnold's treason — progress in studies — 

OFFERS TO TAN HIDES — GRADUATES — A REMINISCENCE 

enters THE REGULAR ARMY IS SENT UP RED RIVER 

HIS MODESTY A LETTER TO MRS. BAILEY. 

That branch of the Grant family from which the 
famous General came was represented in Mathew Grant, 
who landed on these shores in 1630. In the sixth gener- 
ation from Mathew was Noah Grant, grandfather of the 
General, who after the Revolutionary War migrated to 
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where, in January, 
1794, Jesse R. Grant, father of the lamented General, was 
born. Five years later, in 1799, the family began to be 
agitated by the fever of unrest, following the star of em- 
pire, moved to the great and distant valley of the West. 
At this time not a single State had been formed out of 
that large district known as the Northwestern Territory, 
lying between the Allegheny and Rocky Mountains. 
The journey was long and wearying. After days of trav- 

(25) 



26 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

elling along rough roads, through dark forests and across 
rapid streams, they at last made a final halt in Ohio. 

About the same time another Pennsylvanian, a farmer 
by the name of John Simpson, removed his household to 
Clermont county, on the Ohio river, near Cincinnati. 
The two families were but a few miles apart. The 
country being sparsely settled at that time, it was not long 
before the Grants and the Simpsons came to be well ac- 
quainted. The friendship thus established culminated in 
the marriage of Jesse Grant and Hannah Simpson. This 
event occurred in June, 1821. Jesse was a quiet, cautious, 
earnest young man, possessed of an abundance of resolu- 
tion and perseverance. He was very fond of business, 
and soon resolved to add a tannery to his f\irm. His wife 
was a young woman of exceptional good sense, possessing 
also a calm, serious and domestic temperament. She was 
warmly attached to her home, and endeavored to make it 
sunshiny and pleasant. She entered into her husband's 
enterprise with all the energy of character peculiar to 
successful Western pioneers, and by so doing aided much 
in his material prosperity. In the humble dwelling which 
they called home their first child was born on the twenty- 
Beventh day of April, 1822. This child, a son, was named 
Hiram Ulysses Grant. The story of the subsequent 
change of name is thus told by the father : 

"The maternal grandmother was quite a reader of 
history, and had taken a great fancy to Ulysses, the great 
Crcciiin general, who defeated the Trojans by his strategy 
of the wooden horse. She wished the child named Ulys- 
Bos. His grandfather wanted to have him njimed Hiram. 
S. l,.,th were gratified by naming him Hiram Ulysses. 
^\ ii.-n 1 wrote to Mr. Hamer, then a member of Congress 
l'"ni our district, to procure the appointment of cadet, he 
wrote to the War Department and gave his name ' Ulysses 



2S LIFE OF GENEEAL GEAKT. 

S. Grant.' And we could not get it altered. Simpson 
was his mother's maiden name. We had a son named 
Simpson, and Mr. Hamer confounded the two names. We 
re"-arded it a matter of but little consequence, and so let 
it stand." 

Early in life absence of fear became characteristic of 
the voung Ulysses. When but two years of age, while 
l)eing carried in the arms of his father on a public occa- 
sion through the village, a young man expressed a desire 
to try the efiect of a pistol report on the child. The father 
consented, remarking : " The child has never seen a pistol 
or gun in his life." The baby hand was placed on the 
trigger and pressed until it snapped and the pistol went 
oir with a loud report. The child scarcely stirred ; but in 
a moment afterward pushed away the pistol, exclaiming 
in childish glee: ^' Fick it again! fick it again!"" 
One who stood by remarked : '' That boy will make a 
general ; for he neither winked nor dodged." 

Placed in the village school, Ulysses was faithful and 
studious. Whatever was undertaken he was sure to 
master. His progress was not as rapid as that made by 
others, but it was thorough. His motto seems to have been 
" slow but sure." Although he gave no striking evidence 
of genius, still there was a beautiful resemblance to the 
boyhood of Washington in a peculiarity well expressed by 
one well qualified to give an opinion : " There was cer- 
tainly a manly, dignified modesty in his deportment which 
made him at least an uncommon lad." 

The persistency with which Grant pursued his studies 
was certainly remarkable. Where many another would 
liave given up discouraged, he toiled on until he had won 
tlic victory. One day, as he was wrestling with a very 
difTicMli problem, one of his companions happening in at 
the time said to him : 



ANCESTRY. 29 

" You can't master that." 

Ulysses replied : " Can't ! What does it mean ? " 

" Why," stammered the other, " Why, it means that — 
that you can't. There !" 

Grant wa% not satisfied with the answer. In order to 
settle the exact meaning of the word, he turned to the 
dictionary. He found the word can very easily, but there 
was no cant. Whenever he was baffled in his search for 
knowledge, he was wont to take the matter to his teacher; 
and so he appealed to him in this instance. " What is 
the meaning of can't ? The word is not in the dictionary." 
The teacher soon informed him, and seeing that a grand 
opportunity was presented to impress upon the minds of 
the scholars the great truth that perseverance in well 
doing is the secret of success, presented the matter in a 
very forcible manner. He said : " If in the struggles of 
life any person should assert that you can't do a thing 
you had determined to accomplish, let your answer be, 
" The word can't is not in the dictionary.'" 

His father also relates another amusing little incident: 
" When he was about ten years old, a distinguished phren- 
ologist came along and stayed several days in the place. 
He was frequently asked to examine heads, blindfolded. 
The phrenologist, among others, examined the boy Grant. 
He felt his head for several minutes without saying any- 
thing. Then he was asked if the boy had a capacity for 
mathematics. The phrenologist, after some further ex- 
aminations, said : ' You need not be surprised if you see 
this boy fill the Presidential chair some time.' " 

It was about this time that Grant showed unmistakably 
his Scotch blood. That is to say, he had the substantial, 
strong qualities of character for which the men of Scotland 
are remarkable — self-reliance and manliness, combined 
with the ability to manage difficult undertakings. 



.10 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



" Ulysses," said his father to the boy one day, " T want 
you to drive the team down to the woods, where the hands 
arc ready to load up some logs." 

The boy M-as soon on the way, whip and "lines" in his 
hands. When he reached the forest, however, the men 
were not to be found. " Ah !" he said to himself, " I see 
h.)\v it is. These logs have got to be loaded; for father 
wants them. I must make up in wit what I lack in 
^strength." 

But how to get the heavy logs upon the wagon was a 
serious question. Just at that moment his eye rested 
on a tree that had fallen over, and rested against another. 
This made the trunk an inclined plane, rising gradually 
from the ground. The boy saw at a glance how to make 
the liorses do tb.e work which the missing men were to 
have done. Unhitching his team, he drew the log nearest 
to him up on the side of the tree, and then another and so 
on until he had them jiU in proper position. He then 
backed his cart under the load, drew each log over the 
tree and fastened it with a chain to the wagon, and in tri- 
umph drove homev/ard. His father met him at the door, 
and not seeing the men, who had been expected to return 
witli him, exclaimed: 

"Why, Ulysses! where are the men? Didn't they 
help you?" 

•' I don't know where they are," was the answer, " and 
I don't care either; for I got the load without them." 

The time of Jesse Grant was so occupied with the cares 
of pioneer life that the training of the son was left almost 
wholly to the mother. Mrs. Grant was one of those 
wom.'u who believed that a child's education should not 
I- left wholly witli the teachers in the common school. 
Mm- believed that home influence left an indelible mark 
ui>on the pla.stic mind of the young. She therefore sought 



ANCESTRY. 31 

to impress upon her son the noblest lessons which one can 
learn. Having made the Bible her text-book, she reared 
her boy to love that dear old volume, and to prize its 
immortal teachings. Although possessed of strong re- 
ligious traits, Mrs. Grant had, nevertheless, a quaint 
humor. It often manifested itself in the quiet ripples of 
her handsome mouth, even though it did not betray itself 
by words. 

" Ulysses," she said to her boy one day, " I mean you 
shall not come to a bad name, if you can help it. Your 
father has called you by a great one, and if you will fol- 
low the advice of your mother, as well as that of your 
father, no one will ever call you Useless Grant." And no 
stronger summons was needed to start the boy to duty 
than the short call of the woman pioneer: 

" Quick, my lad ! They shan't call you Useless ! " 

Thus the inspiration to diligence, to obedience, to per- 
severance and success came to the boy Grant in the 
charmed circle of home. He saw that his father was suc- 
cessful; he also saw that his mother greatly aided his 
father in his efforts. And with these two examples be- 
fore him he often put the question to himself: " What 
reason is there that I should not succeed?" 

In those early days in Ohio it was absolutely necessary 
for a successful farmer to have in his possession one or 
more of the best horses obtainable. The business of 
Jesse Grant having increased, he desired to purchase 
another horse. He sent Ulysses, who was at that time 
assisting him in the tan-yard, to make the purchase. The 
animal wanted was the property of a neighbor. The boy, 
though young, had acquired some knowledge of horses, 
and was, therefore, delighted with the mission. 

" Go to neighbor Ralston, my son," said Mr. Grant, 
" and tell him I have sent you to buy the horse we talked 



no . J.IFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

about. You may offer him fifty dollars at first. If he 
says he Avon't take that, offer him fifty-five. If that 
won't bring the creature, you might go as high as sixty." 
The boy at once started on his errand, and soon 
reached tlie neighbor's house, and make known his 

errand. 

•• Your father sent you to buy this mare of me, did 
ho?" inquired Mr. Ralston. 

'• Yes, sir, he did," answered young Grant, looking the 
animal over carefully. 

" Did he tell you how much you were to pay for him ?" 
continued Ralston, with his sharp eye fastened upon the 
thirteen-year-old customer. 

•• Yes, sir," frankly responded the boy. " Father told 
me to offer you fifty dollars for the horse ; and then he 
said, if you wouldn't take that, I might raise to fifty-five, 
but I nmstn't go above sixty." 

Neighbor Ralston thought that he had a very easy case 
to manage. " Oh, that's it," he said. " Well, sixty dol- 
lars is my price for the mare." 

•• Father said I might give sixty dollars," answered the 
boy, •• but, after seeing the horse again, I don't think she's 
worth more than fifty to us; so you may take that or it 
is no trade." The little fellow got the horse. 

Early in life patriotism developed as an important ele- 
ment in the character of the young Ulysses. It seems to 
have been born in him, and, as year by year rolled on, its 
nacred fire burned brighter and brighter. A single inci- 
(l<'nt will serve to show how strong it was when he was 
lait a small lad. He had a cousin who had been born in 
<':ina(la, and, of course, it was but natural that he should 
liavc learned something from his ancestors prejudicial to 
Americans and to their institutions. This cousin regarded 
the American people as being far beneath those of Eng- 



ANCESTRY. 33 

lish birth, and, having been sent into the States to be 
educated, he did not hesitate to give his opinions in very 
plain language. To hear his country and its founders 
ridiculed was too much for Ulysses, and he rej)lied to his 
cousin with no small degree of earnestness. 

" Speaking of Washington," said the cousin, " it seems 
to me, Ulysses, you appear to think a great deal of him." 

" And why shouldn't I ? " was the reply. " He is the 
father of my country, and was raised up by the Almighty 
to lead it to independence." 

" That's all very fine," retorted the other ; " but he was 
a traitor to his king." 

" A what ? " demanded Ulysses, raising his voice. 

"Washington was a traitor, a rebel!" continued the 
other, in an insolent and authoritative manner. 

"Cousin John," calmly replied Ulysses, "would you 
like to hear your sovereign called hard names ? " 

" Why, no ; I can't say that I should." 

" Well, then, let me tell you plainly that I will not al- 
low you or any one to insult the name of Washington ! " 

"Pray, what are you going to do about it?" asked 
John, with a sneer. 

" Do? " exclaimed Ulysses. "Do ? I shall resent it, as I 
have a right to do. You may take advantage of me ; for 
you are older than I am. My mother has told me not to 
quarrel with my schoolmates, and I intend to obey her, 
and shall not attack them on my own account. But when 
Washington is assailed, and especially by an English boy, I 
shall defend him, cousin or no cousin. I'm ready to fight 
for Washington." 

And with these words Ulysses threw off his jacket and 
was not long in convincing this Canadian friend that he 
meant full as much as he had said. Blow followed blow 
in quick succession, until the cousin was thrashed into an 
apology. 



34 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



m 



When Ulysses returned home his parents were not long 
... discovering that he had been in a fight. There was 
no attempt to evade or conceal anything ; but with frank- 
ness he told them the whole story. He had not been 
fighting for self, or from a purely selfish motive. Rather 
^^°ls it°a contest for principle ; for his beloved country ; 
for one whom his father and mother had ever taught him 

to honor. 

For a moment or two not a word was spoken after 
Ulysses had finished his story. The mother looked at 
her darling boy, her heart filled with the mingled emo- 
tions of patriotism, love and maternal duty. What step 
sh(3uld she take ? The boy had often been told that he 
must not fight, but still he had by his own confession 
been engaged in such an act. And then she thought of 
the holy impulse which had led him to do so, and as she 
thouglit she asked herself the question, " Would it be 
right for me to punish him because actuated by such a 
principle?" While she was debating the matter, the hus- 
band and father broke the silence : 

'' Mother," said he, adopting a familiar form of expres- 
sion. *• I don't think you ought to punish the boy. He 
has come straight home after the difficulty and told us the 
^vllole story. You see, he didn't fight from malice or re- 
venge, or the love of fighting. In my judgment he did 
exactly right; for the boy who would not fight to defend 
Wasliington is not worthy to be the son of Jesse and 
llanunh Grant." 

And so tlie question was settled, and rightly, too. 
Siicli a decision did not set aside paternal discipline, 
ratlier did it honor that spirit of patriotism which had 
laid the foundation of a great and good government, 
riynses was taught to be a patriot, even though to be one 
Hliould cause him to receive many a blow. 



ANCESTRY. 3S 

"It is the purpose of the Ahnighty," continued Mr. 
Grant, after a short pause, " to redress all human wrongs. 
It is Christian to take up arms in defence of right, if 
right cannot be defended in any other way. Ulysses has 
but done his duty in standing up for his country. Should 
we not have been ashamed of our boy if he had done any 
differently ? In my opinion, it marks the manhood in 
him; and, if his life is spared, he may yet do a great 
work in the world." 

Patriotism was not only thus early taught, but faith- 
fulness in every undertaking in life. Mr. Grant was one 
of those men who believe that if a thing is worth doing 
at all, it is worth doing well. And so he early impressed 
upon the mind of his boy the importance of being faith- 
ful in all the undertakings of life, however humble the 
station held. 

" Ulysses," he said to his son one day, " remember this 
as long as you live, that it is honorable for a boy to learn 
any trade that is an honest one. Washington learned a 
trade and was not ashamed to follow it for a living. Let 
it be your constant aim, my son, to do what you com- 
mence to do, that is right, with all your heart. When 
you begin a good thing, go through with it. Don't leave 
your leather only half-tanned : if you do, it will spoil and 
be a dead loss on your hands. Plenty of lime, plenty of 
clean water, plenty of tan, plenty of oil, plenty of hard 
work, and your leather is made ; and when it is made, it 
is a good thing. Remember the old saying, ' There is 
nothing like leather.' Resolve in your youth that it shall 
be so with you in everything. Never begin a work unless 
you intend to go through with it. You know that the 
best leather is that which sometimes looks the worst in 
the hide, and that the most elegant and durable specimens 
are frequenth^ found at the bottom of the vat." 



86 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



At the age of seventeen Ulysses was admitted as a 
cadet into the United States Military Academy at West 
Point. The appointment was secured through the in- 
fluence of a friend of his father, General T. L. Hamer, a 
UKMnbor of Congress at that time from Ohio. Grant en- 
tered upon the duties with that spirit of earnestness and 
(k'tcrniiiiation which had ever characterized him. He re- 




VIKW FUUM MIHTAIIY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT. 

Holved tliat he would succeed— that, however difficult the 
undertaking he would overcome all its obstacles. 

'•How did 3-ou pass the examination ?" inquired the 
^•'^'•"•'•- in a l<-tter, soon after his son's entrance to the 
ucadfiiiv. 

Tlie n-ply was at once modest and truthful : " I passed 
exanunation on ,what I had learned by hard study; and, 



ANCESTRY. 37 

let me tell you, father," he added, '' I don't think I shall 
forget it very soon, if ever I do. I don't expect to make 
very fast progress ; but I shall try tc hold on to what I 

get. 

And with this determination in his heart he devoted 
himself to liis studies. Soon after his entrance he wrote 
to his mother : 

" U. S. West Point Military Academy, 
"June 4:th, 1839. 

" My Dear Mother : I have occasionally been called to be sep- 
arated from you ; but never did I feel the full force and effect of 
this separation as I do now. I seem alone in the world, without 
my mother. There have been so many ways in which you have 
advised me, when in the quiet of home I have been pursuing my 
studies, that you cannot tell how much I miss you. When I was 
busy with father in the tannery and on the farm we were both 
more or less surrounded by others who took up our attention and 
occupied our time. But I was so often alone with you, and you 
spoke to me so frequently in private, that the solitude of my sit- 
uation here at the Academy, among my silent books and in my 
lonely room, is all the more striking: it reminds me all the 
more forcibly of home, and, most of all, my dear mother, of you. 
But, in the midst of all this, your kind instructions and admoni- 
tions are ever present with me. I trust they may never be absent 
from me as long as I live. How often I think of them ! and how 
well do they strengthen me in every good word and work. 

"My dear mother, should I progress well with my studies at West 
Point and become a soldier for my country, I am looking forward 
with liope to have you spared to share with me in any advance- 
ment I may make. I see now, in looking over the records here, 
how much American soldiers of the right stamp are indebted to 
good American mothers. When they go to the field, what prayers 
go with them ! what tender testimonials of maternal affection and 
counsel are in their knapsacks ! I am struck, in looking over the 
history of tlie noble struggle of our fathers for national independ- 
ence, at the evidence of the good influence exerted upon them by 
the women of the Revolution. Ah ! my beloved friend, how can 
the present generation ever repay the debt it owes the patriots of 
the past for the sacrifices they have so freely and richly made for 



38 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

us? Wc mav well ask, ' Would our countn^ be what it is now if 
it had not l»cen for the greatness of our patriotic ancestors?' 

" Let me hear from you by letter as often as convenient, and 
send me such books as you think will help me. They can be for- 
warded throu.uli the courtesy of our member of Congress. 
'• Faithfully and most lovingly your son, 

" Ulysses." 



West Point is the spot where Benedict Arnold, the 
Revolutionary tnaitor, attempted to betray his country 
into the hands of the English. Concerning this fact, 
}oung Grant expressed himself to his father : 

'• I am rendered serious by the impressions that crowd 
upon me here at West Point. My thoughts are fre- 
quently occupied with the hatred I am made to feel 
toward traitors to my country, as I look around me on 
the memorials that remain of the black-hearted treason 
of Arnold. I am full of a conviction of scorn and con- 
tempt, which my young and inexperienced pen is unable 
to write in this letter, toward the conduct of any man 
who, at any time, could strike at the liberties of such a 
nation as ours. If ever men should be found in our Union 
base enough to make the attempt to do this; if, like 
Arncjld. they should secretly seek to sell our national in-.-* 
heritance for the mess of pottage of wealth, or power, or 
section — West Point sternly reminds me what you, my 
father, would have your son do. As I stand here in this 
national fort, a student of arms under our country's flag, 
I know full well how you would have me act in such an 
emergency. I trust my future conduct, in such an hour, 
would prove worthy the patriotic instructions you have 
given." 

Ill tlic spring of 1840, having been at West Point one 
v'-ar. his rapid i)rogress so pleased the authorities that 
tli«-y i-roinoted him without hesitation to a place in the 



ANCESTKY. ' 39 

third class, and gave him the rank in the battaUon of 
corporal. In the following year, having been admitted 
to the second class, he was made a sergeant. And yet, 
though thus honored, he was the same quiet, unassuming 
youth that he was when he came from the old tannery. 
His modesty and faithfulness won respect from his 
teachers, and his companions loved him for his unre- 
stramed and friendly manner. 

While at West Point an incident occurred which serves 
to show that, although he had left the tannery and its 
work, he, nevertheless, did not look upon labor as a thing 
to be ridiculed. Coming, as he did, from the West, the 
son of a tanner and farmer, he was, as all new-comers are 
at first, the subject of many a joke from the older students. 
One of them one day sneeringiy alluded to the fact of his 
having worked m a tannery. 

" Sir ! " exclaimed the indignant Ulysses, drawing him- 
self to his utmost height, " am I to understand your re- 
mark as intended for an insult ? " 

" AYhy, no. Grant; it was a thoughtless thing to say, 
and I regret it." 

" Oh I very well," added Grant ; " I accept the apology. 
But let me tell you, for your information as well as that of 
others here, that I consider the calling of a tanner as honor- 
able as any other in the world, and I shall defend it. I 
had made up my mind, if occasion required it, to prove 
to those who insulted me on account of my business, that 
I had learned it well, and I should thoroughly tan their 
hides on the spot ! " 

On June 30th, 1843, Grant's class graduated. Of the 
hundred who had donned the cadet gray four years before, 
thirty-nine graduated. In his class Grant ranked twenty- 
one. The tanner's son who had come from a district 
school outranked seventy-nine of his classmates, some of 



40 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

whom were the sons of Congressmen and of professional 
men. Not a few of them had passed through college, and 
lience had received advantages which circumstances had 
denied to Grant. The secret of Grant's success lay in the 
fact that he was painstaking and faithful. He had fixed 
his eve upon a certain goal, and to reach that goal he 
bent all his energies. Fixedness of purpose is the secret 
of success. "A rolling stone gathers no moss" is a trite 
saving, and we have an abundant illustration of its truth 
everv day. Many a failure in life is attributable to the 
simple fact that the person so failing had no settled pur- 
pose in life. Had Grant acted upon this plan, then cer- 
tainly he would have lived in obscurity, and his last hours 
would not have been the object of the w^orld's solicitude. 

Among those who graduated with Grant w^ere many 
men who afterwards became distinguished officers in the 
Mexican war, and also those who later still became iden- 
tified as prominent leaders in the Rebellion. At the head 
of the class stood Major-General W. B. Franklin, who 
afterwards led the Nineteenth army corps under General 
Banks. Generals Ingalls, Steele and Judali graduated in 
the same class. 

An oflicer who was connected with the Academy at the 
time Grant was there thus speaks of him : 

'• 1 remember him well. He was a small, tiny-looking 
little fellow with an independent air about him and a 
f:oo(l deal of quiet determination. It is long ago, but 
when 1 recall old scenes I can still see Grant with his 
ovi-ralls strapped down on his boots, standing in front of 
his quarters. It seems as though it were yesterday that 
I s;iw him going to the riding hall with his spurs clanging 
iMi the ground and his great cavalry sabre dangling by 
ills side. It is thirty-eight years since, and I must be 
growing old, but it is wonderful what a short time it seems 



ANCESTRY. 41 

since I was a young man and saw the famous soldier a 
mere stripling at the Point." 

Another, speaking of hiin during this same period, says: 

"• He was a plain, straightforward, common-sense youth; 
quiet, rather of the old-head-on-the-young-shoulders order, 
shunning notoriety, quite contented while others were 
grumbling; taking to his military duties in a very busi- 
ness-like manner — not a prominent man in the corps, but 
respected by all and ^^ery popular with his friends. His 
sobriquet of 'Uncle Sam' where every good fellow has a 
nickname came from these very qualities ; indeed, he was 
a very Uncle-Sam-like sort of youth. He was then and 
always an excellent horseman, and his picture rises before 
me still of Grant in an old torn coat, obsolescent leather 
gig-tops loose riding pantaloons." 

At the time of Grant's graduation the work of the 
United States army was confined almost wholly to occu- 
pying forts as garrisons, guarding the frontier wherever 
threatened by the Indians, and having the oversight of 
the opening of military roads through the wilderness. 
Grant was breveted Second Lieutenant of the Fourth reg- 
ular infantry, stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near St. 
Louis. He took part in the many expeditions which were 
sent into that wild country which lay back of the settle- 
ments for the purpose of protecting the defenceless inhab- 
itants from the attacks of the savages. Early in 1844 
the regiment was sent up the Red river, in Louisiana, to 
protect the scattered settlers. While thus engaged the 
country called him to a higher and a more active service. 

While attached to the Louisiana expedition Grant sent 
a daguerreotype of himself to Mrs. G. B. Bailey, of 
Georgetown, Ohio, who had been warmly attached to him 
in his early days. Accompanying the picture was the 
letter given below, which illustrates the modesty of the 



42 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

jouiig Irto. There was no desire to make a parade of 
his position, or a big flourish with the title which had 
been conferred upon him. And this fact has been true 
of him all through his public life. 

' " Camp Salubrity, near Natchitoches, La., 

''June m, 1844. 

" Mrs. Bah^ey : My journey, fortunately, is at an end, and agree- 
ably to your request and my own pleasure I hasten to notify you 
of niy safe arrival here. It always affords me pleasure to write to 
old acquaintances, and much more to hear from them ; so I would 
be pleased if the correspondence would not stop here. As long as 
my letters are answered, if agreeable to you, I wall continue to 
write. 

" My trip to this place, ' forty days' journey in the wilderness,' 
was marked with no incident, save one, worth relating, and that 
one is laughable, curious, important, surprising, etc., etc., but I can't 
tell it now. It is for the present a secret, but I will tell it to you 
some time. You must not guess what it is, for you will go wrong. 
On my route I called around by the way of St. Louis and Jef- 
ferson Barracks, where I spent four or five days very pleasantly 
among newly-made acquaintances. From St. Louis to New Or- 
leans I had a very pleasant trip on a large and splendid boat, with 
pleasant passengers and not much crowded. As we approached 
tlie Soutli the sun became sensibly warmer and the mosquitoes 
decidedly more numerous. By the time we got to New Orleans 
my hands and face bore the strongest evidence of the number and 
size of this insect in a Southern climate. I was but one day in 
Orleans, which was spent in running over the city just fast enough 
lo tire myself out and get but little good of my visit. But from 
what I saw I think it would be a pleasant place to live, and it is 
\u>w contemplated that my regiment will go in that neighborhood 
ill cast; Texas sliould not be annexed to the United States; but in 
cii.se of the annexation we will probably have to go much farther 
w«-Ht than we are now— i)robably to the Rio Colorado. From New 
( )rlounH to Natcliitoches I had the bad fortune to travel on a small 
lM)iil, conHid('nd)ly crowded, through a hot country, with gambhng 
(^'»iii^; on day and night. Some of the passengers had very cut-throat 
appejirances. From Natchitoches I had to walk (or pay an extrav- 
u^,'aiit piic- for ;i conveyance) three miles through the hottest sun I 



ANCESTRY. 48 

think I ever felt. I found my regiment camping out in small linen 
tents on the top of a high sandy ridge and in the midst of a pine for- 
est. The great elevation of our situation, and the fact that one of the 
best springs of water in the State puts out here, are the only recom- 
mendations the place' has. We are about three miles from any 
place; there is no conveyance to take us from one place to 
another, and everything is so high that we can't afford to keep a 
horse or other conveyance of our own. I could walk myself but 
for the intensity of the heat. As for lodgings, I have a small tent 
that the rain runs through as it would through a sieve. For a bed- 
stead I have four short pine sticks set upright, and plank running 
from the two at one end to the other. For chairs I use my trunk 
and bed, and as to a floor, we have no such luxury, yet our meals 
are cooked in the woods by servants that know no more about cul- 
inary matters than I do myself But with all these disadvantages 
my appetite is becoming extravagant. I would like to have our 
old West Point board again that you may have heard so much 
about. As for the troublesome insects of creation, they abound 
here. The swamps are full of alligators and the woods full of bed- 
bugs and ticks, insects that you are not troubled with in Ohio, but 
are the plague of this country. They crawl entirely under the 
skin when they get on a person, and it is impossible to keep them 
off. So much for Camp Salubrity. 

" I should be happy to get an answer from this as early as possi- 
ble, and, if nothing more, a postscript from the young ladies. 
Ladies are always so much better at giving the news than others, 
and then there is nothing done or said about Georgetown that I 
would not like to hear. They could tell me of all the weddings, 
etc., etc., that are talked of Give my love to everybody in George- 
town. " Lieutenant U. S. Grant, Fourth Infantry, 
" To Mrs. G. B. Bailey, Georgetown, Ohio. 

" P. S. — I give my title in signing this, not because I wish people 
to know what it is, but because I want to get an answer to this, 
and put it there that a letter may be directed so as to get to me. 

" U. S. G." 



CHAPTER II. 

THE MEXICAN WAR — GRANT GOES TO MEXICO — PALO ALTO 

GRANT COMMENDED FOR BRAVERY — RESACA DE LA PALMA 

— MONTEREY GENERAL SCOTT ENTERS THE FIELD VERA 

CRUZ — GRANT PLACED ON THE COMMANDER'S STAFF A 

LETTER HOME — IMPRESSIONS OF MEXICO — MEXICAN PRO- 
DUCTIONS MINERALS BIRDS BATTLE OF MOLINO DEL 

REY — CIIAPULTEPEC — BREVET CAPTAIN A NIGHT OF TER- 
ROR IN THE MEXICAN CAPITAL SANTA ANNA FLEES FR03I 

THE CITY — SCOTT TAKES POSSESSION PEACE. 

In the year 1845, as the reader knows, war was threat- 
ened between the United States and Mexico. The cause 
was a dispute about the boundary line of Texas, which 
had ah'ead}' become a State, for which more territory was 
chiiiucd than Mexico was willing to concede. This led 
to liDt disputes, and to many acts of injustice on the part 
of Mexico. The United States government determined 
to .SLMid an '•'army of occupation," for the purpose of 
securing tlie observance of what she considered the true 
l^oundary of Texas. General Taylor was the commander 
ol tliese ibrces, among which was the regiment with 
which (irant was connected. The troops were for a time 
Htationed at Corpus Christi, and here, soon after his arri- 
val, C.rant received his full commission as Second Lieu- 
t'-iKiiit. He was then transferred from the Fourth to the 
S.-vcMth rp-iinent of regular infantry. A few weeks later 

44 






) 'Xj 




46 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

ho was returned to the old Fourth, where he retained the 
8am e rank. 

The winter of 1845-46 passed away without any deci- 
sive action. On the 23d of May, 1846, Mexico declared 
war on the grounds that the United States troops had in- 
vaded her territory. General Taylor was still stationed 
on the banks of the Rio Grande, opposite Matamoras. 
At Matamoras there was a large body of Mexicans sta- 
tioned. Taylor having heard that the enemy were be- 
tween him and Point Isabel, and that they were also 
threatening Fort Brown, further up the stream, he re- 
solved to dispatch troops to both points. When the 
American forces were preparing to move, the Mexicans, 
who had been closely watching them, believing that they 
were about to give up the struggle, manifested their de- 
light in the ringing of bells and in other ways. Between 
the original headquarters of General Taylor and Fort 
Bnjwn lay Point Isabel, Palo Alto, and Resaca de la 
Palma. While marching to the relief of Fort Brown, 
General Taylor met the enemy at Palo Alto, where a 
Fliarp and bloody engagement ensued. Here Grant showed 
tlie material of which he was made. The coolness and 
self-possession for which he was remarkable in his earlier 
years, now appeared in a stronger, brighter form. The 
discipline of West Point had served to develop all the 
grand qualities of his military nature. In the course of 
tlic battle it became necessary for him to give a few com- 
mands, and they were given in few words, and with a 
calmness well worthy of an older campaigner. The 
l''ourth regiment was well spoken of for the work which 
>t [K'rformed that day. Grant was commended for his 
bravery. 

On the following day, as the army continued its line 
ul march, Taylor met the enemy and fought the battle 



MEXICAN WAR. 47 

at Resaca de la Palma. But the Mexicans could not 
stand before the American army. Their ranks were 
thinned, and they reeled before the deadly fire which 
was poured into their faces and at last they fled from the 
battle-field, although they outnumbered the Americans 
three to one. The Fourth regiment was again distin- 
guished, and Lieutenant Grant was again commended for 
gallantry. 

The victorious army then swept on, driving the Mexi- 
cans before them, like autumn leaves before a wind. 
Down the river the troops marched until they agam 
encountered the enemy at Monterey, some 10,000 strong, 
under the command of General Ampudia. The attack 
was made by General Taylor, on the 21st of September. 
Several days fighting ensued, and on the 24th Ampudia 
surrendered the city and garrison. It was at this point 
that Grant had his first opportunity of learning in battle 
the nature of intrenchments, the best manner of approach- 
ing them, and the means most likely to dislodge an 
enemy. The knowledge which he learned while here, 
unquestionably became of great use to him in after 
years. 

In the meantime the Congress of tlie United States 
had made a regular declaration of war. In the fall of 
1846 General Scott entered the field as commander-in- 
chief of the entire American force. It was now deter- 
mined to proceed without delay against the magnificent 
Mexican capital. The fleet bearing General Scott and 
his troops entered Vera Cruz bay on March 9th, 1847. 
Scott landed at Sacrificios, three miles from Vera Cruz, 
at the head of 12,000 men. General Taylor's forces were 
to unite with those of Scott, in the siege of Vera Cruz, 
which was a strong and well-defended city, with its cele- 
brated castle San Juan de Ulloa. 



48 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

A few days later the two armies united, and an attack 
upon the city was made at once. Again the Mexicans 
were defeated, and the victorious troops pushed on toward 
the city of Mexico. As a reward for his bravery. Grant 
was now given the position of quartermaster and a pLace 
upon the commander's staff. 

While the troops were pressing on to Mexico, Grant 
found time to write an occasional letter home. One of 
them reads as follows : ^ 

I In Camp, En Route to Mexico, 
1 May 10th, 1847. 

My Dear Parents: We are progressing steadily toward the 
Mexican capital. Since I last wrote you my position has been 
rendered more responsible and laborious. You may learn the 
progress of the old Fourth by the papers ; and I do not mean that 
you shall ever hear of my shirking my duty in battle. My new 
post of quartermaster is considered to afford an officer an oppor- 
tunity to be relieved from fighting; but I do not and cannot see 
it in that light. You have always taught me that the post of 
danger is tlie post of duty. That is the way Warren looked at it, 
you rumcmber, when he asked General Putnam where he would 
send him, in the battle of Bunker Hill. " I shall send you, Mr. 
President," replied Putnam (for you recollect that Warren was the 
President of the Continental Congress at that time), " to a place 
of safety." " No, general," said Warren, quickly, " send me where 
tlu- light may be the hottest; for there I can do the most good for 
my country." 

So I feel in my position as quartermaster. I do not intend it 
shall keep me from fighting for our dear old flag when the hour 
of battle comes. 

Hut 1 must not talk all the time about the war. I shall try to 
^ivf you a few deserij^tions of what I see in this country. It has 
wi it many wonderful things, you are aware, so different from 
Ohio, West Point, and the Indian territories of Missouri. 

Mexico is ill many parts very mountainous. Its hillsides are 
crowned with tall palms, whose waving leaves present a splendid 
appearance. They toss to and fro in the winds like plumes in a 
helmet; their deep green ghstening in the sunshine or glittering 



MEXICAN WAR. 49 

in the moonbeams in the most beautiful manner. The table-land 
is high and pleasant, interspersed with many verdant valleys. 
Some of tlie mountains near the coast of the Pacific Ocean are 
very lofty, and volcanic in their character. One of these, on tlie 
extreme northern border, is over 10,000 feet high above the plain, 
and the plain is supposed to be 8,000 feet above the level of the 
sea. 

The more central part of the country, through which we are 
passing, does not have so many high mountains, but it is very 
much broken, and some of the cliffs are very steep and the gorges 
below very deep. As we pass along from the seaboard to the in- 
terior, we cannot but be struck with the influence produced on 
the atmosphere by this mountain air. Mexico, you recollect, is 
located in the torrid zone, where the weather is supposed to be 
always warm ; but here we find it temperate and healthy to a 
remarkable degree. The soil abounds with grain, such as wheat 
and maize, and vegetables, sugar-cane, roots, and fruits of various 
kinds. With proper cultivation, cotton can be produced in large 
quantities. The number of plants that yield balsams, gums, 
resins, and oils is very great. Below the surface of the earth are 
to be found gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, tin, zinc, sulphur, alum, 
vitriol, cinnibar, ochre, quicksilver, and other mineral productions. 
In some places are to be found diamonds, amethysts, cornelians, 
and precious stones. There are in the hills, sometimes, great 
masses of loadstones — as large as the largest houses, and quarries 
of jasper, porphyry, and most beautiful green and golden marble. 
The manufectures are earthen and stone ware, glass, spirits, 
sugars, tissues of cotton, paper, woollen, and silk fabrics. Very 
large supplies of medical minerals and herbs are constantly pro- 
duced from the interior. 

All kinds of horned cattle abound in these parts of Mexico. 
They range over the immense plains in droves, occasionally num- 
bering 40,000. Their meat is not always the most desirable, but 
their hides are sent in great quantities to England, France, and 
the United States. Over 10,000,000 of hides of cattle and skins 
of smaller animals are at times sent away from Mexico in a single 
year. 

I have been much delighted with the Mexican birds. They are 
found here in immense numbers. There are over 200 different 
kinds peculiar to the country. Many of these have a plumage 
that is superlatively splendid, but the display of their music does 



60 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

net (.Miual that of their colors. The singing of the Mexican birds, 
as a general thing, is not as clear, nor as strong, nor as varied as 
that of the birds of the United States. They beat ours in show, 
but they do not equal them in harmony. 

Tl)e City of Mexico, to which we are now marching, and which 
we expect to possess in a few weeks, is, as you know, one of the 
most beautifully located in the world. It was originally built with 
great care. The streets are wide, and as the cooling winds come 
down from the neighboring mountains, sweeping over fields of 
clover, groves of magnolias, orchards of oranges, and gardens of 
flowers, they fill the air with a delightful and healthful fragrance. 
The city is built at riglit angles, with perfect regularity. In this 
respect it will compare favorably with any other capital or metrop- 
olis in either of the four quarters of the earth. 

But I hear the taps as I write, and must be on the move. I 
have written this letter with my sword fastened on my side and 
my pistol within reach, not knowing but that the next moment I 
may be called into battle again. 

With remembrance to all our friends, I remain, 

Dear parents, your son, 
U. S. Grant. 

Mr. ./e.s.sc R. Grant, Georgetown, Broivn County, 0. 

In the autumn of 1847 occurred the terrible slaughter 
of Molino del Rey. The Mexicans were again defeated, 
and as they fled from the scene of the conflict they left 
nion- than a thousand men upon the field, beside those 
that had been wounded. In this battle Grant took an 
active part. For the conduct displayed on this occasion, 
It was proposed to give him a brevet appointment as first 
H('Utonaiit. This empty title Grant refused to accept. 
Five days later, Chapultepec, a frowning, formidable 
Htron-hold, was stormed. Up to the battlements, in spite 
of tlie leaden storm, the brave troops moved steadily on. 
Among those brave men there were none more brave than 
Grant. His gallant conduct was highly commended. 

-Did you see young Grant ? " inquired one officer of 
.-.nuth.T, on the morning following the battle. 



52 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

••Yes : I saw him in the right spot just in the nick of 
time," was the response. 

"How was it?" asked another, who had been in a dif- 
lerent part of the field. 

•• Why," answered the first speaker, "it was a splendid 
tiling in Grant. I had just succeeded in reaching the 
fort with a mere handful of men. We were all tired out 
climbing up the steep bank, and our ammunition was 
nearly exhausted. Grant dashed in with a squad of 
brave fellows from his Fourth infantry. We joined our 
forces together, and divided ammunition. We then pushed 
forward in the face of a furious fire, carried the stronsi; 
field-work of the enemy, and completely turned his 
right." 

** I saw Lieutenant Grant at the first barrier," said a 
soldier of the gallant Fourth to a fellow-soldier, as they 
rested together beneath the shade of the chaparral. 
" The enem}' w-as in strong force, and stood his ground 
well. We had to be very cautious how we came up under 
his ridding fire; for, you see, he enfiladed us the wdiole 
length of the line. So up we went slowly, creeping along, 
•until the head of the battalion was within short musket 
range of the barrier. At this point, Lieutenant Grant 
came up handsomely, pushed forwvard with our men, and 
drove in the enemy's flank." 

" I knew the command the moment it came up," added 
the other. " The rear of the enemy had made a good 
stand, the breastwork was strong, and the conflict was a 
slmr|) one. One of our howitzers was mounted on the top 
ol a ccnvent near by, and Lieutenant Grant helped to 
nianage it. His aim was splendid, and every shot told. 
I iM'ver saw nobler conduct in any battle." 

Thus his conn-ades bore united testimony concerning 
his conduct upon that memorable occasion. Nor was he 



64 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

overlooked at the head-quarters. He was singled for 
honorable mention, and he with one other officer were the 
onlv ones who were thus distinguished. This meritorious 
conduct at once secured him the rank of brevet Captain in 
the regular army. The commission bore the date of 
Sept. 13, 1847 — the very daj^ of the battle at Chapulte- 
})ec. This commission was confirmed by Congress at the 
subsequent session of 1849. 

The fall of Chapultepec was really the end of the war. 
"Whi'ii the Mexicans came to understand that the United 
States troops were again victorious, terror reigned at the 
capital. The night which followed defies descrij)tion. 
Santa Anna, thoroughly alarmed, seeing that his army 
had been hopelessly shattered, fled from the city with the 
fragment that remained (some 2,000 only), accompanied 
by the officers of the civil government of the Republic. 
Scott at once prepared to enter the city. Early on the 
morning following the evacuation, the American troops 
took possession of the city, and unfurled the starry flag 
from the top of the national palace. Scott rode into the 
city mounted upon his powerful white charger. As he 
l)assed along the streets the bands played "Yankee 
Doodle." Dismounting, he took ofl* his hat, and drawing 
Ills sword and raising it high above his head, he pro- 
claimed in a loud voice that the American troops had 
taken possession of the city, and of the Republic. At that 
inoiiii-nt those Mexicans who were still in the houses 
opriiL'd fire upon the Americans from windows and house- 
tops. Although this attack was without the approval of 
the Mexican authorities, it continued nearly all day, and 
many AiiK-rican officers were killed or wounded. 

In the battles in the vicinity of the City of Mexico the 
Americans lost in killed, wounded and missing, 2,713, 
wiulc the Mexicans' total loss was 10,730. 



CHAPTER III. 

GRANT RETURNS NORTH IS APPLAUDED IN NEW YORK — IS 

SENT TO DETROIT SACKETT's HARBOR GRANT's LOYE- 

STORY MEETS MISS DENT ENGAGED MARRIED IS SENT 

TO OREGON ADMIRAL SCHENGK SPEAKS GRANT RESIGNS 

BECOMES A FARMER-j-AN INCIDENT HIS ATTACHMENT 

FOR HIS FAMILY WORDS FROM A SOUTHERN CLERGYMAN 

HIS LIBRARY TURNS COLLECTOR WHY HE FAILED TO 

BE A GOOD ONE HIS ESTIMATE OF MONEY MAKES APPLI- 
CATION FOR AN engineer's OFFICE BECOMES ATTACHED 

TO THE CUSTOM HOUSE REMOVES TO GALENA POLITICS 

A PORK STORY. 

With the return of peace the volunteer troops of tlie 
United States army disbanded and returned to their sev- 
eral homes. The portion of the regular army that had 
been employed in the struggle was ordered back in a 
body to different military posts. Grant's regiment landed 
in New York, where they were warmly received by the 
citizens. How little people thought, as they spoke of his 
gallant conduct, that in a few years this same brevet 
Captain would receive the homage and applause of the 
learned and the titled throughout the world ! 

The old Fourth regiment was broken up into compa- 
nies, and ordered to detached service. Grant was again 
sent to the frontiers ; but this time it was to the North 
rather than to the South. He was first stationed at 
Detroit, Michigan, and afterwards at Sackett's Harbor, a 
post on Lake Ontario, in northern New York. 

4 (55) 



.56 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



Wliilo a cadet at West Point, Grant had a friend or 

"biinkv" as such persons were called at the academy — 

for whom he formed a strong attachment. Wiien leaving 
West Point in 1843 this friend invited him to pay him a 
visit. Soon after he was given a three months' leave of 
absence. He paid his promised visit to liis friend Fred 
Dent, the son of Judge Dent, of St. Louis. Here he re- 
ceived a glad welcome, not only from his old comrade but 
from the other members of his family. The Judge had 
a daughter, who was both young and agreeable, and it 
was not long before Grant found himself greatly in love 
witii her. He laid siege to her heart, and won her con- 
sent to become his wife. The Dents lived some four 
miles from Jefferson Barracks, and soon after the two 
were thus engaged, much to the surprise and delight of 
botli, Grant was transferred to this point. While here 
1k' was enabled to visit the Dents often. Both families 
were pleased with the attachment which had been formed, 
and so the days at Jefferson Barracks passed pleasantly. 
When the dark cloud gathered upon the southern horizon, 
and Grant's regiment was ordered to Mexico, there was a 
tender scene in the parlor of the old Judge's home, 
(jood-byes were being exchanged between the lovers. 
Vows of faithfulness were exchanged, and then they 
parted. During the din and the smoke of the battle- 
field, the busy life in the camp and on the march, he 
never forgot that one who, with tears in her eyes, had 
bidden him good-bye. And although separated by sev- 
••ral hundred miles, still her affection for him remained 
unchanged. Often would she direct her cry to heaven, 
"()h! my Father, keep him, protect him, and bring him 
safely back to me again." When the war was over, and 
'■rant liiid returned home, he found a glad welcome in 
lliat home which contained a treasure indeed. In Au«:ust, 



58 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

1848, Miss Julia Dont became Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant. 
And during the thirty-seven years of married life which 
followed that happy day she ever brought ;<unlight into 

liis home. 

In 1852 Grant's regiment was ordered to Oregon. The 
journey thither was by way of the Isthmus, and Admiral 
Schcnol<:, who commanded the transport ship, has recalled 
his impressions of the young subaltern. 

''In IS'32," said the admiral, "I took a regiment on 
my ship from New York to the Isthmus. Major Bonne- 
ville, whose exploits and adventurous trip through the 
Hocky Mountains were afterward related by Washington 
Irving, was in command of the regiment, and Lieutenant 
Grant was acting as quartermaster. For the first week 
or so out I did not have much to say to Grant. He was 
then a quiet, undemonstrative man, and took matters 
just as they came along with little comment, though 
when culled upon he never seemed at loss for an opinion, 
and a good reason to back it. I noticed this first in the 
little differences that frequently arose between the officers. 
Bonneville was hasty and uncertain in his manners and 
often gave cause for disagreements, and it was a customary 
])ractice to make Lieutenant Grant the arbitrator at such 
times, and his rulings were distinguished, I remember to 
liave noted, by particular good sense. lie never went to 
iicd before three or four o'clock in the morning, but would 
w ilk up and down the deck smoking a cigar. I usually 
tu -ned in abo\it midnight, and as we became better ac- 
(piainted it was a frequent thing for us to walk up and 
down the deck together, discussing such matters as came 
up iVom time to tiuie. Tliese conversations recurred to 
luc in later years when he came prominently belbre the 
i:ountry. and they were what chietiy left a remembrance 
ul the nuui in my niemory." 



AS A CITIZEN. 59 

The service of Captain Grant in his new surroundings 
was characterized with that faithfulness and energy which 
had been so prominent in his previous career. He earned 
the respect and confidence of all in his command ; indeed, 
of all those with whom he was associated. During all this 
time the prayers of a godly mother followed him, in the 
earnest desire that he might ever seek to follow the ex- 
ample of the perfect man. The faithful counsels of his 
father continued to be pressed upon him in letters from 
home. 

After two years of service at this distant post, it ap- 
pearing that a long period of inactivity would follow, 
Captain Grant resigned his commission and returned to 
private life. 

He rejoined his family close to St. Louis, near which 
place he lived for several years as a farmer. In his new 
calling he sought to be earnest, knowing that earnestness 
was the key to success. He did not believe that he had 
in any sense lowered himself by exchanging his regi- 
mentals for the blouse of the farmer. Many anecdotes 
are recorded of him during this period of his life. We 
have space for but one or two : 

" Who's that coming down the street there with that 
load of wood?" inquired a gentleman of one of his 
neighbors in one of the streets of Carondelet, Missouri. 

"Ask him, and he will tell you," was the ready but 
respectful reply. 

When the woodman had reached them, the first speaker 
said to him : 

" May I inquire of you how far you have brought 
your wood ? " 

" Certainly, you may ask me, sir ; and I will tell you 
with pleasure. I brought the load from a few miles to 
the southwest of St. Louis." 



&.! 



LIFE OF GENEUAL G11A:N'T. 



" Did yon cut it yourself? " 

" Yes, sir." 

'' Wliat is your jDrice?" 

•• I ;isk only the market price — four dollars a cord," 
was the reply. 

'* 1 will take it. You may drive your load to my 
cellar-door, and dump it there." 

The purchaser walked beside the team, and pointed out 
the place where he desired the wood put. The driver 
was clad in a blue blouse ; his pants were tucked in at 
the top of his strong boots, and his head was surmounted 
with a plain felt hat. 

As the gentleman was about to pay him he inquired — 

'■ I am aboat to enter my jDurchase, and may want 
more wood ; will you be kind enough to give me your 
name ?" 

'• My name is Grant, sir — U. S. Grant." 

" Are you from Ohio ? " 

'' Yes, sir : I was born in Clermont county, about 
twenty-five miles above Cincinnati." 

'' I thought so. It struck me that I knew you, when 
I first saw you up the street. Y^our father is Jesse R. 
Grant, the tanner, of Brown county?" 

'' Yes, sir ; the same." 

'' Captain Grant, allow me to take your hand. Some 
of us have heard of you in Texas and Mexico. Y^our 
coming here, sir, is a pleasure to us." 

l'].\pressions like these were often repeated. Whenever 
Grant ai)peared in market with either wood or produce, 
tlu? i)C()i.lc invariably showed great respect for him. 

His liomc here, as elsewhere, was a thing in which he 
delight.'d. When the toil of the day had been completed 
lie loved to sit with his fiimily, and entered heartily into 
everything iu which they took pleasure. An idea of his 



AS A CITIZEN. 61 

attachment for lii.s family may be gained from the follow- 
ing circumstance related hy a southern clergyman, soon 
after the surrender of Lee : 

"■ I was badly deceived in my view of General Grant, 
My house was full of your generals last night. There was 
Sheridan, Humphrey^;, Meade, Custer, Ord and quite a 
number of others, and they were a lively set and full of 
fun, and all were quite jolly with the exception of one 
officer whom I noticed sitting in a corner smoking and 
taking but little part in the sports in which the rest were 
engaged. They all went out of the house but this solitary, 
silent man, and as I was going out he asked me where the 
pump was, as he would like to get a drink. On offering 
to get him some water, he said : ' No, sir, I am younger 
than you, I will go myself,' and as I passed out he came 
up behind me. When in about the middle of the hall my 
little granddaughter came running towards me, but the 
silent man spreading out both arms caught her, taking 
her up, fairly smothered her with kisses, and said : ' This 
reminds me of my little girl at home and makes me home- 
sick.' To the question wdiere is your home he replied : 
'Galena, 111., but I have my family at City Point and am 
anxious to get back to them.' I said, ' Will you permit 
me to ask your name, sir?' 'Certainly; my name is 
Grant.' 'Grant!' exclaimed I, 'General Grant?' and I 
stood there awe-stricken and paralyzed with astonishment, 
whilst my heart went out after this man. I thought to 
myself, here is a man whose name is now in the mouth 
of man, woman and child throughout the civilized world, 
and yet withal he exhibits no emotion and seems uncon- 
cerned and unmoved until the little child reminds him of 
his loved ones at home, and I fairly broke down, as Gen- 
eral Grant had been pictured out to us as a bloody 
butcher, looking as savage as a Comanche Indian." 



ti2 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

II1.S library, though small, was composed of select vol- 
umes. Prominent among them might have been seen the 
Holy Bible, and by the side of that was the Constitution 
of the United States. Then followed the History of 
America, and the Life of Washington. There stood also 
the Memoirs of La Fayette, Barons de Kalb and Steuben, 
and tiie brave Kosciusko, whose monument he ever de- 
li'dited to visit, when a student at West Point. Li mili- 
tarv works those of a strictly scientific character were his 
choice. Beside these there was also a good assortment of 
miscellaneous works. 

Being noted for his uprightness and integrity, his neigh- 
bors often employed him to collect bills for them. The 
lul lowing incident serves to show that he never lost sight 
of those sterling principles which were early instilled into 
his mind by his mother. 

It was winter, and for a long time the ground had been 
covered with a deep snow. Added to tliis it became in- 
tensely cold, and hence the suffering of the poorer poj)u- 
lation was indeed great. One morning one of his towns- 
men handed him a bill, saying, 

'• You will oblige me b}^ collecting this bill for me to-day. 
Are you ready ? " 

'• Yes, sir," was the quiet reply. " I am ready, if it's all 
right." 

'* Wliat do you mean by all right? You don't intend 
to imply. I presume, that I would hand you an unjust bill 
to collect?" 

'' Not at all, sir," returned Captain Grant. " I meant 
nolhing of the kind." 

'• What then ?" 

" Why, sir, the winter is upon us, and the weather is 
l>itt(TC()l(l." 

"True, Captain Grant. I admit that, sir. But you've 



AS A CITIZEN. 63 

been in the army several years ; you have seen some hard 
service. I hope you don't mean to shrink back on account 
of the weather ? " 

'• By no means, sir ! " quickly responded Grant, raising 
his voice a little. "' You entirely misunderstand me, sir. 
I am not in the habit of shrinking any duty, however 
irksome. What I mean is this, sir. The present is a 
time of suffering among the poor, from various causes, 
which some of them cannot help. May I ask you if these 
persons who owe you this bill are sober, industrious 
people, who are doing the best they can ? " 

" Why — ^yes — I believe they are." 

" Do you learn that they are in distress for money ? " 
continued Grant. 

'• Yes, sir ; I understand they are rather hard up," was 
the reply. 

" And that is the reason why you wish me to press 
them to pay your bill ? " 

" Yes, Captain ; that is my object in coming to you,' 
answered the other, wondering what Grant was driving at. 

'' Then, sir, allow me to say, with all due respect, that 
you may collect your bill yourself; for I cannot do it." 

The neighbor folded the bill and placed it in his pocket, 
and as he watched the form of Grant as he walked away 
from him, he could but admire the spirit which he had 
manifested upon this occasion. 

Says one of him during that portion of his life which 
was spent near St. Louis : — " He put a right estimate on 
money, as one of the means of promoting usefulness and 
happiness in human society. But he did not fall down 
and worship, nor exalt those who had it merely because 
they had it, nor despise those who had it not. He set a 
good example of industry by being always at work at 
something honorable. His personal habits were simple, 



.;4 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

lru<^al, economical. When he contracted debts, he made 
every efibrt in his power to pay them ; and always repaid, 
as promptly as possible, every dollar of borrowed money. 
Temperate, indefatigable, persevering, he was ever ready, 
while he worked hard for himself and family, to share 
his wood and other products of his little farm w^ith the 
worthy poor." 

While living at St. Louis, Grant made an application 
to the authorities for a local office. The letter, addressed 
to the Honorable County Commissioners, in which he pre- 
sented his claims was as follows : 

"Gknti-emen: I beg leave to sul)mit myself as an applicaiit for 
the oflice of County Engineer sliould tlie office be rendered vacant, 
and at the same time to submit the names of a few citizens who 
liave been kind enough to recommend me for the office. I liave 
made no effort to get a large number of names, nor the names of 
persons with wliom I am not personally acquainted. I enclose 
lierewith also a statement from Prof. J." J. Reynolds, who was a 
classmate of mine at ^^'est Point, as to qualifications. 

" Sliould your honorable body see proper to give me the appoint- 
ment, I i)ledge myself to give the office my entire attention, and 
shall hope to give general satisfaction. 

" Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

" U. S. Grant." 

Although this application was indorsed by a large num- 
hcr of his business friends, still Grant did not obtain the 
j)ositi()n. " There was no other special objection to him," 
remarks a writer, "than his supposed Democratic pro- 
clivities from his political antecedents. His ability as an 
{•ngineer was accorded. He was not much known, though 
the commissioners had occasionally seen him about town,' 
a tnll<- ,><hahl)y in dress, with his pantaloons tucked in his 
lxM)ts. Th(y sup|)()sed him to be a good office man, but 
hardly ccpial to the high responsibility of keeping the 
roads ill order. He might answer for a clerk, but in this, 
engincership, talent and efficiency were needed." 



AS A CITIZEN". 



66 



He soon after accepted a position in the custom house 
at St. Louis, but held the phice only a short time, on 
account of the death of his superior. After this a second 
application was made for the position of county engineer, 
but of course nothing came of it. 

After a few years' residence near St. Louis Grant re- 
moved to Galena, and engaged with his father in the 




GRANT'S n03IE AT GALENA. 

tanning of hides under the firm-name of ''Grant & Son." 
The productions of this firm led those of every other. 
They were well known for honest, square dealing. 
Although greatly interested in the circumstances which 
were daily occurring, still he took no active part in party 
politics. Every attempt to enlist him in petty political 
squabbles invariably failed. 



•6 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



" Good-morning, sir," said one of his neighbors one day, 
a gentleman who was quite prominent in politics, " have 
you hoard the news ? " 

'' What news? " asked Grant. 

'' Why, the news of the election down in Egypt." 

"No, sir; I have not heard it; and to tell you the 
truth I don't care to hear it." 

" But you have your opinion about such matters ?" 

"Yes, sir," responded Grant. "I have a firm con- 
viction with regard to our national affairs. Above every- 
tliing else I agree with Washington and Jackson, that 
our Union should be preserved. But, sir, as to mere party 
politics, I don't know anything about them; and what 
is more, I don't want to. I am not in the habit of 
associating with mere politicians, and I am rather in- 
clhied to think I never shall be. Those who consult my 
wishes will never broach party politics to me. Excuse 
me, sir; but there is one subject on which I feel per- 
fectly at home. Talk to me about that, my friend, and 
I shall be happy to hear you." 

" What is that. Captain ? " 

" Tanning leather," was the characteristic reply. 

About 1859, Bellevue, Iowa, a little town on the Mis- 
sissippi river, twelve miles south of Galena, 111., where 
General, then known as Captain, Grant then lived, was 
somewhat noted for its pork-packing industry. There 
were three or four houses engaged in the business and 
usually tlie competition between them was pretty sharp. 
One winter, however, the pork packers pooled their issues, 
by which means one of the houses was to be closed for 
the wiuu-r. Captain Grant, hearing of the unused pack- 
nig house, came down and rented it for the season, in- 
tending to engage in the pork-packing business. Of 
course the other houses formed a combination against 
llie new-comer. 



AS A crTizp:x. 67 

General Grant found he was losing money, and, receiving 
some propositions, sold out bis lease and stock to the 
opposition at a considerable los3 and retired ingloriously 
from the field. 

During the Vicksburg campaign, while the army lay 
at Youug's Point, opposite Yicksburg, and before General 
Grant had personally arrived to take command, a long, 
lank Indianian belonging to an Iowa regiment was noisy 
in declaring his belief that General Grant could not be 
the same Grant who had made so much of a failure as 
pork packer. The Indianian had been one of the team- 
sters who had hauled pork for the opposition packers. 
He was terribly cut up when General Grant arrived, and 
he had no further doubt of the General's identity with 
the unsuccessful pork packer. He wanted to desert, and 
doubtless would have done so could he have gotten back 
to Iowa. He actually became ill over the matter, and 
was barely able to go on the campaign when it actively 
commenced. After its rapid marches and brilliant battles 
were over, and while the Confederate army, in a starving 
condition, were closely shut up within their fortifications, 
and a few days after a small boat loaded with salt had 
been captured in attempting to run into the city, a num- 
ber of soldiers were gathered around a camp-fire, when 
some one asked the Indianian what he thought of Gen- 
eral Grant now. 

" Wall," he drawled out, " the denied fool tuk sich a 
disgust over pork at Bellevue that he won't let the 
Johnnies have salt enough to save their bacon." 




OKANT'S DEl'AUTUKK FOK TIIK AVAli. 



CHAPTER IV. 

RUMORS OF WAR — VOTES AGAINST LINCOLN — THE FALL OF 

SUMTER GRANT VISITS McCLELLAN IS PLACED ON THE 

governor's STAFF IS RECOMMENDED FOR BRIGADIER- 
GENERAL, BUT DECLINES BECOMES COLONEL OF TWENTY- 
FIRST REGIMENT BECOMES BRIGADIER-GENERAL SENT 

TO SOUTHERN MISSOURI TAKES POSSESSION OF PADUCAH, 

KENTUCKY ADVANCES AGAINST BELMONT BEFORE 

COLUMBUS — THE "CAIRO EXPEDITION" — GRANT PROTECTS 

PROPERTY ATTACK UPON COLUMBUS — VICTORY — ON TO 

FORT DONELSON A TERRIBLE FIGHT FLOYD AND PILLOW 

MAKE THEIR ESCAPE — THE SURRENDER. 

The bitter battle of words which had been waged hotly 
between the North and South during the winter of 1859 
culminated, as every one knows, in the civil war. For a 
long time clouds dark and portentous had been seen hang- 
ing upon the horizon, but many fondly but vainly hoped 
they would not rise higher. But rise they did, and with 
their fierce blackness overspread the heavens and down 
upon the nation they poured their rain of mingled shot 
and shell. With hearts inspired with true love of coun- 
try, fathers and sons rushed to the defence of the old flag, 
and upon their country's altar poured out their life blood 
freely. 

Although he had taken no part in the politics of the 
day, Grant had nevertheless been a close observer of that 
growing hostility which was destined to have so great an 

(69) 



7,, LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

iiilliieiico upon the future of the country. He watched 
these signs with regret as it became evident to him what 
tlie result must be. He saw that it would plunge the 
country into bloodshed and mourning. Believing that the 
election of Lincoln would cau.se the breach between the 
North and South to become much wider, he cast his vote 
against him. He acted in accordance with his convic- 
tions; he sought to do that which would produce the 



J' 




FORT SUMTER. 

best result for the country which he loved so well. This 
done, with an anxious heart he awaited the result. 

At last the storm burst. The booming cannon was 
heard, and over the wires soon after went the message : 
•• Sumter has fallen ! " From its position, where it had 
h»'<'n wont to unfold itself in the breeze, the old flag had 
Uen hauled down. This fact caused the patriotism in 



THE CIVIL WAE. 71 

the heart of Grant to burn more fiercely than ever. At 
once he tendered his services to the adjutant-general, 
but no reply was returned to his communication. Soon 
after this McClellan was appointed to the position of 
major-general of the Ohio Volunteers, and Grant visited 
him at Cincinnati for the purpose of getting an appoint- 
ment upon his staff. He did not state this fact to Mc- 
Clellan at that time, owing to the fact that the head- 
quarters was crowded with eager applicants, seeing whom 
Grant retired. He was, however, soon after placed upon 
the staff of Governor Yates, with the rank of Adjutant. 
He performed the duties of his position so faithfully that 
when Lincoln sent to the governor, desiring him to name 
two persons for the position of brigadier-general, the 
name of Grant was forwarded. With that modesty which 
has ever been characteristic of the man, he declined the 
position, saying that he wished to receive nothing that he 
had not earned. The colonel of the Twenty-first regi- 
ment being unable to manage his troops. Grant accepted 
the position made vacant, and became attached to Pope's 
Department of Northern Missouri. This was in 1861. 
In August of the same year he was appointed Brigadier- 
General. He was then sent to Southern Missouri to re- 
pel an invasion threatened by Jeff Thompson. 

Grant established his head-quarters at Cairo. The po- 
sition in which he was now placed was by no means an 
easy one. Although Kentucky had declared that she 
held a neutral position in relation to all questions bearing 
upon the war, and in relation to the war itself, yet she 
had suffered the Southern troops to occupy three im- 
portant points in the State. Under these circumstances 
Grant felt warranted in taking possession of Paducah, at 
the mouth of the Tennessee. This point commanded the 

navigation of not only that river, but also that of the 
5 



72 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Ohio. Grant was well aware that if he did not at once 
occupy it the enemy would do so. In order to allay any 
misapprehension which may have arisen in the minds of 
the peoi^le he issued the following order: 

" Paducah, Ky., September Bth, 1861. 
" To the Citizens of Padumh : 

" I am come among you, not as an enemy, but as your fellow- 
citizen. Not to maltreat you, nor annoy you, but to respect and 
enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. An enemy in rebellion 
against our common government has taken possession of, and 
planted his guns upon the soil of Kentucky, and fired upon you. 
Columbus and Hickman are in his hands. He is moving upon 
your city. I am here to defend you against this enemy, to assist 
the authority and sovereignty of your government. / have noth- 
ing to do xolth opinions, and shall deal only with armed rebellion, 
and its aiders and abettors. You can pursue your usual avoca- 
tions witliout fear. The strong arm of the government is here to 
protect its friends and punish its enemies. Whenever it is mani- 
fest that you are able to defend yourselves, and maintain the 
autliority of the government, and protect the rights of loyal 
citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under my command. 

" U. S. Grant, 
^^ Brigadier- General Commanding.''^ 

To this occupancy by the Union troops the State Legis- 
lature objected on the ground that it was an invasion of 
State rights. A correspondence between the Governor 
and Grant followed, but the latter defended his position 
so ably that he was suffered to remain. 

The city of Columbus was at this time in the hands of 
the enemy, and was indeed, the highest point held by 
them on the Mississippi. Grant was directed by Fremont 
to threaten this point, thinking by such an action to pre- 
vent the advance of Price who was to bring relief to the 
enemy. Grant's forces were not stronsr enouo;h to make 
an attack upon the place ; but he believed that he could 
break up the enemies' camp at Belmont, which lay upon 



THE CIVIL WAR. 73 

the opposite side of the river. He therefore sent two 
small parties to this latter place, who were to approach it 
from different directions, while he embarked with nearly 
three thousand men in transports, and, in company with 
the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, proceeded down the 
river until within about ten miles of Columbus, where 
they cast anchor. On the following day they got under 
way again, and very soon after the troops were landed on 
the Missouri shore. In the fight which followed, Grant 
and McClernand led the volunteers in person. While 
this advance was being made, the enemy hurled volley 
after volley into Grant's troops. The troops, under fire 
for the first time, soon began to show signs of discourage- 
ment. Buford, in the meantime, had been sent to charge 
upon the right, and as the disheartened troops heard the 
volley which his men poured in upon the foe, they took 
fresh courage. Realizing that they were being attacked 
upon all sides, the enemy broke for the woods, leaving 
everything behind. Then the garrison across the river, 
in Columbus, opened fire upon them. Grant then ordered 
his men to fall back to the boats. The enemy threw a 
heavy force before him. When informed of the fact, he 
answered : " Well, if that is so, we must cut our way out 
as we cut our way in." And he did. His troops behaved 
nobly. Grant was greatly pleased as is evident from the 
following order, issued soon after : 

f Head-quarters District S. C, Mo., 
1 Cairo, November 8th, 1861. 
The General commanding this military district returns his 
thanks to the troops under his command at the battle of Belmont, 
on yesterday. 

It has been his fortune to have been in all the battles fought in 
Mexico by Generals Scott and Taylor, except Buena Vista, and he 
never saw one more hotly contested, or where the troops behaved 
with more gallantry. 



.,4 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Such courage will insure victory wherever our flag may be borne 
and protected by such a class of men. To the brave men who fell, 
the sympathy of the country is due, and will be manifested in a 
manner unmistakable. U. S. Grant, 

Brigadier- General Commanding. 

This order, though brief, is a. key to the character of 
the man. He was ever thus. Not only brave himself, 
but was an ardent admirer of true bravery. And ever, 
also, this feeling of sympathy was manifest. 

Four days later, Fremont was succeeded by General 
Halleck, and Grant's field of operations became enlarged. 
It became known as the Cairo district, and embraced 
Southern Illinois, Southern Missouri, and that part of 
Kentucky which lay west of the Cumberland river. A 
season of inactivity followed. From November until mid- 
winter the army remained in camp. Then, under orders 
from General Halleck, the " Cairo Expedition " occurred. 
But little was known at the time regarding its design. 
It was composed of nineteen regiments of infantry and 
six of cavalry, with five batteries. These advanced 
toward the interior of the State, with the intention, as 
many supposed, of attacking Columbus. But such, how- 
ever, was not the design, as it afterward appeared. The 
movement was made for the purpose of preventing the 
enemy from sending troops to relieve those already at 
Bowling Green. During this expedition. Grant issued an 
order which contained the following declaration : 

" It is ordered that the severest punishment be inflicted 
upon every soldier who is guilty of taking or destroying 
])rivate property, and any conunissioned officer guilty of 
like conduct, or of countenancing it, shall be deprived of 
his sword and expelled from the army, not permitted to 
return," etc. 

This exhibits the manner in which he respected the 



THE CIVIL WAR. 75 

rights of citizens, and his efibrt for the protection of their 
property. 

Soon after this, having learned that Fort Henry, on the 
Tennessee, was in the hands of a weak garrison, Grant 
asked permission of Halleck to make an attack upon it. 
But that officer refused to entertain the proposition. It, 
however, soon after appeared that the Government had 
determined not only to advance upon that point, but also 
upon Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland. By capturing 
which latter place they would be able to establish a road 
to Nashville, and also destroy the enemy's line of defences 




INTERIOR OF FORT HENRY. 

extending from Columbus to Richmond ; they would also 
be able to completely flank Columbus. It was the inten- 
tion to have Commodore Foote, who had been building a 
flotilla on the Ohio, move against Columbus in the early 
spring. That plan was abandoned, and Foote was ordered 
to proceed at once against the city, and make an attack 
in front. At the same time Grant was to make a land 
attack in the rear. 

The expedition started on the 6th of February. Foote 
was soon alongside the fort and opened fire upon it. In 
the meantime. Grant was urging his forces alono; the 



76 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



roads, rendered almost impassable by recent rains. The 
l)rogress of the land forces was indeed slow. The boom- 
in <'■ of the "uns of the flotilla, as it came to the ears of 
Grant, filled him with anxiety, lest he should fail to ren- 
der the necessary assistance. By-and-by the cannonading 
ceased, and he began to fear that the gunboats had been 
beaten off. To ascertain the truth regarding the matter, 
he sent one of the officers forward. The messenger was 
absent but a short time, and then came galloping back 









lYATER BATTERY AT FORT DONELSON. 



With the glad intelligence that the Stars and Stripes were 
floating above the fort. As the troops learned this tliey 
gave vent to their feelings in a series of loud and hearty 
cheers. Grant, accompanied by his staff, hastened for- 
ward, and were soon within the fort. Learning that the 
mam body of the men had gone over to reinforce Fort 
Donelson, Grant at once proposed to move against that 
point. 

It was a bold movement on his part. The enemy, con- 



THE CIVIL WAE. 



77 



sisting of over 20,000 men, were strongly intrenched. In 
the effort proposed, the co-operation of the gunboats was ex- 
pected. The enemy were favorably located. Their heavy 
guns commanded the river for a long way. In their rear 
there arose a series of hills, some of them rising to the 
distance of one hundred feet, and were very steep. Upon 
their summit there were strong fortifications very difficult 
to be reached. Added to the natural difficulties of the 
situation, it was largely increased by the fact that long 
rows of trees had been cut and piled one upon another 
before the fort. Contrary to expectation, Foote did not 
reach the scene of the con- 
flict until after Grant had 
appeared. The soldiers 
being without tents or 
blankets, suffered very much 
from the intense coldness of 
the weather. There had 
been skirmishing between 
the advance hosts, and sev- 
eral of the soldiers had 
been killed and wounded. 

The sufferings of the latter commodore a. h. foote. 

were indeed great. 

On the following morning Foote made an advance and 
opened fire upon the enemy. In the conflict which fol- 
lowed several of the vessels were damaged. The com- 
modore was wounded and fifty-four of his men were 
killed. The flotilla was thus forced to withdraw from the 
fight. Thus Grant was left to carry on the struggle with 
his land force. Difficult as the position seemed to be, 
he was determined to be satisfied with nothing short of 
success. And with this determination he entered into 
the struggle. 




78 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

McClernand was despatched with three brigades to the 
south, with instructions to prevent the escape of the enemy 
in that direction. General Smith was stationed below the 
fort. The main body of the army formed a line two 
miles in length, and was placed between the two divis- 
ions, extending around the works in the form of a half- 
circle. Fort Donelson was in command of General Floyd, 
who was supported by Generals Buckner and Pillow. 

Finding themselves thus hemmed in, the enemy deter- 
mined to make an attack upon McClernand for the pur- 
pose of cutting their way out and making it possible to 
retreat to Nashville. Accordingly Pillow, at the head of 
several thousand troops, with three batteries in the ad- 
vance, left the fort, and without warning fell upon the 
Union forces. Wallace had been stationed near McCler- 
nand, on a high ridge. To him McClernand appealed for 
assistance. Wallace sent a messenger to Grant for in- 
structions. Grant, however, was away holding counsel 
with Foote. The relief not coming up,. McClernand 
despatched a second messenger to Wallace. Wallace was 
at a loss what to do. No communication had been re- 
ceived from Grant, but when the din of the conflict told 
him that McClernand's right flank had been turned, he 
hesitated no longer, but at once despatched Croft to relieve 
that oflicer. Croft moved forward and threw his line of 
troops between the enemy and the flying forces. The 
enemy fell upon him, but he resisted them in a truly 
gallant manner. A terrible battle followed. 

Grant, hearing the noise of the conflict, at once left 
Foote's flag-vessel, and rapidly drove toward the scene of 
tin- battle. He was met by an oflicer who informed him 
ol the sad state of afiairs. Grant was by no means dis- 
C(jncerted. He at once directed General Smith to make 
an assault upon the works of the enemy. He then gal- 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 79 

loped to the battle-field. His eye at once took in the situa- 
tion. The enemy's weak point was quickly discovered. 
McClernand was ordered to reorganize his columns and 
move en masse against the enemy's works. Wallace was 
given the command of the assaulting columns. Smith 
moved against an isolated hill upon which had been 
located a heavy battery, and which from its position ren- 
dered the taking of the fort very difficult. It was evident 
that could this point be taken the capture of the fort 
would be assured. So carefully was the expedition planned 
and executed, that after a short engagement the foe was 
sent flying into the fort below, and the American flag was 
flying to the breeze where but a little before another had 
so proudly floated. Darkness now settled down upon the 
field of battle. Smith and his gallant followers slept upon 
the frozen ground, while Grant sought repose in a negro 
hut near at hand. With no little anxiety they awaited 
the dawning of the morning. 

In the meantime a council of war had been called in 
Fort Donelson. Buckner declared that he could not hold 
out against Smith. Floyd declared that he should at once 
abandon his troops and flee. To do this the command 
would fall upon Pillow. That officer declared that he 
should follow the example of his superior. Floyd, accom- 
panied by as many men as could be crowded upon two 
steamers, left the fort amid the jeers and curses of their 
associates. Pillow made his escape on a hand-flat. Owing 
to the severity of the weather, many of the men were 
frozen to death. Something like three thousand of the 
troops escaped. 

On the following morning the Union forces prepared to 
make a final assault. Just before the time for the bugle 
to sound the advance, there was to be seen a white flag 
floating above the fort. Its appearance was heralded 



80 



THE CIYIL WAR. 



with joy. Cheer after cheer rang out upon the frosty air. 
It was the Sabbath, and many a church bell was ringing 
its gladsome peals when these shouts echoed over that 
bloody field at Fort Donelson. A messenger soon after 
arrived from Buckner for the purpose of arranging the 
terms of capitulation. To his propositions Grant's only 
reply was : " No terms but unconditional and immediate 
surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately 
upon your 2V0J'ks" 

Buckner appreciated the situation in which he was 
placed. He saw that it was useless to delay in a matter 
of so great importance, and particularly in dealing with 
such a man as Grant. He therefore returned the follow- 
ing reply : 

" The disposition of the forces under my command, in- 
cident to the change of commanders, and the overwhelm- 
ing force under your command, notwithstanding the 
brilliant success of the Confederate arms yesterday, com- 
pel me to accept the ungenerous and unchivalric terms 
you propose." 

Grant immediately rode to Buckner's head-quarters, 
where the surrender was formally made. By this act 
nearl}^ fifteen thousand prisoners fell into the hands of 
the Union forces. As soon as the surrender was a fact, 
Grant issued the following order to the army : 

f Head-quarters District of West Tennessee, 
1 Fort Donelson, February 17th, 1862. 

The General commanding takes great pleasure in congratulating 
tile trooi)s of this command for the triumph over rebellion gained 
by tlieir valor, on the 13th, 14th and 15th instants. 

For four successive niglits, without shelter, during the most in- 
clcMient weather known in this latitude, they faced an enemy in 
large^ force, in a position chosen by himself. Though strongly 
fortified by nature, all the additional safeguards suggested by 
science were added. Without a murmur this was borne, prepared 







81 



82 LIFE OF GEXEEAL GRANT. 

at all times to receive an attack, and with continuous skirmishing 
by day, resulting ultimately in forcing the enemy to surrender 
without condition. 

The victory achieved is not only great in the effect it will have 
in breaking down rebellion, but has secured the greatest number 
of jirisoners of war ever taken in any battle on this continent. 

Fort Donelson will hereafter be marked in capitals on the map 
of our united country, and the men who fought the battle will live 
in the memory of a grateful people. By order 

U. S. Grant, 
Brigadier- General Commanding. 

By this decisive victory an important step was taken 
toward opening the southwestern rivers, especially toward 
the great objective point, Vicksburg, which was boast- 
fully called " The Gibraltar of the Mississippi." - 



CHAPTER V. 

RESULTS OF VICTORY SHILOH — A DAY OF DISCOURAGE- 
MENTS A HARD night's WORK BEAUREGARD RETREATS 

TO CORINTH VICTORY FOR GRANT SLANDEROUS RE- 
PORTS HALLECK SHOWS HIS TEETH ADVANCE AGAINST 

CORINTH HALLECK SNUBS GRANT HALLECK MAKES A 

BLUNDER — GRANT ESTABLISHES HIS HEAD-QUARTERS AT 

CORINTH — SUPPRESSION OF THE Avalanche MOVES HIS 

HEAD-QUARTERS TO JACKSON — THE STRUGGLE FOR lUKA 

A CONFEDERATE LETTER — GRANT THANKS HIS SOLDIERS 

HATCHIE RIVER PEACE FOR WESTERN TENNESSEE A 

TELEGRAM FROM LINCOLN. 

The capture of Fort Donelson opened the road to Nash- 
ville, and the intelligence filled the people with consterna- 
tion. In the morning the bells of the churches had rung 
in happy anticipation of victory, but at sunset a fearful 
gloom seemed to overspread the city. Many regarded the 
approach of the Union forces as being the worst thing 
which could have happened. So great a panic was pro- 
duced that during the night carts and wagons loaded with 
furniture and accompanied by a panic-stricken people, 
might have been seen flying southward. 

The victory thus gained not only gave Nashville and 
Bowling Green into the hands of the Union forces, but 
left Columbus uncovered. By this means a long line of 
defences, reaching from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, 
was broken through, and a series of conquests inaugurated 
which culminated in the capture of Vicksburg, and the 
complete routing of the enemy west of the Alleghenies. 

(83) 



84 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



The Southern forces were concentrated at Corinth, and 
the Union forces established at Pittsburg Landing. 
Their position was such that either could open the battle 
in a short time. Halleck ordered Buell to join Grant, 
and bade the latter wait until this union had been effected. 
And so Grant waited. The arrival of the troops was 
looked for anj hour, and so the different divisions, that 
were located some three miles from the river, did not 







>^^J: ^ V • 






PITTSr.UHG LANDING. 

throw up any breastworks. The position, with a suitable 
hue of defences, was a grand one, and with them could 
iiave been held against a much larger force. There are 
two creeks, something like three miles apart, which run 
at about right-angles with the river. These two streams 
protected tlie two wings of the army. Separated from 
this by a distance of three miles is another, known as 



THE CIVIL WAR. 86 

Owl creek, which, flowing in a northerly direction, 
empties its waters into a fourth stream called Snake 
creek. This protected the right flank, and behind this 
by far the greater part of the army was established. The 
streams were much swollen at this time, and hence fur- 
nished an admirable defence in front. The other streams 
were also swollen, and rendered it almost impossible for a 
flank movement to be made. Of the forces, Sherman was 
established the farthest out, in the vicinity of a log 
church, known as the " Shiloh Meeting-House." Beyond 
him were McClernand, Prentiss, Hurlburt and Wallace 
in regular order. The entire force amounted to 35,000 
men. 

On Sunday, April 6th, General A. S. Johnston, at the 
head of 40,000 men, made an attack upon the Union 
forces. Prentiss was the first to receive the onset. He 
was soon surrounded, and forced to surrender with 3,000 
men. The blow next fell upon Sherman's forces. His 
ill-drilled troops recoiled from the contact. Other divisions 
coming up,, they made a noble stand. But they could not 
hold their position, and so the whole line was forced to 
fall back, suffering great slaughter. 

When the battle began Grant was at Savannah, some 
seven miles away. As he heard the distant roar of the 
battle he at first thought that it w^as only between some 
skirmishing parties. But as the din of the conflict in- 
creased, and there came the sound of the heavy firing 
of the artillery, he at once understood its meaning, and 
promptly hastened to the scene of action. When the 
boat which had brought him thither reached the Landing, 
he spurred up the bank, anxious to be on the scene of 
the conflict. He was soon met by a large number of 
fugitives, w^ho confirmed his worst fears — the army was 
being driven back. He despatched a messenger to Crump's 



86 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Landing, some five miles away, with orders for Wallace 
to advance. Another was also sent to Nelson, who was 
commanding Buell's advance, with instructions for him to 
hurry without delay to the relief of the discouraged troops. 
This done, he rode into the thick of the fray. The enemy 
were confident of success. And certainly they had a right 
to be. The main line was falling back ; jt large number 
of prisoners, beside three batteries and three encamp- 
ments, had fallen into their hands. It was very evident 
to Grant that his troops could not long stand against such 
an overwhelming tide. He, therefore, despatched an 
order to Buell for him to come to his relief. Wallace, 
who should have early come to their assistance, failed to 
do so, having lost his way in the woods. Mid-day passed, 
but no reinforcements had come. Grant and his officers 
exerted themselves to hold the foe in check. In the 
meantime Johnston had fallen, and his place had been 
filled by Beauregard, who declared that ere the sun should 
set his horse should drink of the waters of the Tennessee. 
In the meantime Buell had reached Savannah, at which 
point Grant's head-quarters were at that time established. 
On learning the condition of affairs at Pittsburg Landing, 
he at once proceeded thither. When he beheld the con- 
dition of the army he asked Grant what provision he had 
made for the transportation of his forces across the river. 
'• None," was the reply; " I don't despair of whipping them 
yet." And still he fought and urged on his men. As 
the sun sank behind the western hills, it seemed as if the 
lust liope of the scattered Union forces had been destroyed. 
Buell had become disheartened, and it did seem as though 
it needed but one more onset from the enemy to drive him 
from the field. Night now set in. Soon after dark the 
gunboats began throwing their heavy shells into the ranks 
of the enemy. Webster also gathered several heavy 



88 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

guns, and ranging them in a semicircle, opened a terrible 
fire upon Beauregard's forces. The latter were thoroughly 
exhausted, having fought without rest since the break of 
day. When this new order of things was inaugurated, 
Beauregard ordered his troops to cease firing until day- 
light. This respite was gladly welcomed by both armies, 
which were, indeed, worn out. The wounded were suf- 
fered to lie uncared for upon the field of battle. All 
through the night their groans and cries for relief might 
be heard, except when drowned by the louder noise made 
by the bursting of the shells from the gunboats. During 
the night a fierce storm set in, drenching alike the dead 
and the living. Through this storm Grant urged his 
horse, visiting ihe several commanders and giving orders 
for them to recommence the battle at daybreak. Mid- 
night found him again at the Landing, thoroughly drenched. 
Throwing himself upon the ground, with a stump for a 
pillow, he was soon asleep. 

Nelson's troops had reached the field of battle before 
dark, and during the night Buell's men, which hitherto 
had taken no part in the action, were ferried across 
the river. Thus at daybreak General Grant had at his 
command at least 20,000 fresh troops. During the battle 
of the preceding day Beauregard had lost half his men, 
so that he had but 20,000 exhausted men to bring into 
the field. With the dawning of the morning hostilities 
again commenced. It was soon very evident that victory 
would at last be given to the Union troops. Beauregard 
was slowly driven back. He hotly contended for the 
possession of the ground which he had gained the pre- 
ceding day. He was, however, forced to retire, until at 
length he retreated to Corinth. Grant would have pur- 
sued him had his own troops been in a condition to do so. 

An attempt was soon after made to rob Grant of the 



THE CIVIL WAR. 89 

glory of the victory which he had so honestly won. It 
was affirmed by some that he was so badly intoxicated 
that he was unfit for the position of commander of the 
troops on that occasion. The West was particularly 
bitter in its denunciation. The President was asked to 
remove him from command. The request would have 
been granted, but for the timely defence of Hon. E. B. 
Washburne, formerly his fellow-townsman. He was thus 
suffered to retain the position of commander, although he 
was in reality but a nominal commander. The army be- 
came broken up in the right wing and placed under tlie 
command of Tliomas and McClernand, and hence it fol- 
lowed that their orders were frequently sent to Grant's 
under officers rather than to him. And thus they suc- 
ceeded in ignoring him altogether. The injured man 
made no complaint, believing that time would justify him 
and his position. 

Halleck, who for a long time had felt unfavorably in- 
clined toward Grant, now entered the field in person, 
seemingly with the determination to show Grant the 
proper method of conducting the war. The first step 
was taken toward Corinth. He had a force of 120,000 
men at his connnand, and yet with this large army it took 
him six weeks to go the distance of fifteen miles. Had 
Grant been given the force, with his superior qualities as 
commander and engineer, he would have reached Corinth, 
and put the enemy to rout in one-quarter the time. 

The position which Grant now held was far from being 
desirable. He knew full well the manner in which he 
was regarded by his fellow-officers and the country at 
large. Still he uttered no complaint, but performed his 
every duty with that fidelity with which he has ever 
been noted. To him it was painfully evident that the 
method pursued by Halleck was a false one. He, how- 



90 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

ever, said nothing save in one instance, and that was at 
one time when the question of Beauregard's evacuating 
Corinth was raised in Halleck's head-quarters. He had 
closely watched the movements of the Confederate army, 
and thoroughly understood its position. And hence, in 
this single instance, ventured to give an opinion. He 
stated it to be his opinion that should a vigorous attack 
be made on the right wing of the enemy, it could be 
forced from its position, thus enabling the Union forces to 
wheel to the left and sweep the whole works. Halleck 
received the opinion with scorn, and gave him to under- 
stand that when his opinion was asked it would be time 
enough for him to give it. Grant made no reply, fully 
believinsx that time would show that he had not been 
mistaken, and also would reveal to the world the Mse 
methods of Halleck. On the 30th of May the latter an- 
nounced that the enemy was preparing for an immediate 
attack upon the left. He therefore drew up his entire 
force in battle-line, and waited for the appearance of the 
enemy. But no enemy was to be seen, and an inspection 
of their works revealed that they contained neither men 
nor guns. Halleck at once led his troops into the city, 
and took possession of it. Grant soon after visited the 
spot where he advised Halleck to attack the enemy, and 
found that he had been right in his opinion. Thus for a 
long time had Halleck been preparing to resist an attack 
which Beauregard never intended to make. 

In July Halleck was called to Washington to take the 
l)osition of commander-in-chief of all the armies. Before 
departing for Washington he offered the command of the 
Army of Tennessee to Colonel Allen, then a quarter- 
master. Thus his last effort in connection with that 
arin}^ was devoted to that purpose which he seems never 
to have forgotten — to disgrace Grant. In his short-sight- 



THE CIVIL WAR. 91 

ediiess he did not or would not see that the very man 
whom he was seeking to injure was the one who had 
really saved him from an open disgrace. He failed, how- 
ever, to accomplish his purpose, and Grant still retained 
his position as commander, and established his head- 
quarters at Corinth. For two months he mainly devoted 
himself to the work of protecting the railroad connecting 
Bolivar with Columbus. 

Memphis, having fallen into the hands of the Union 
army, came under his supervision. The inhabitants, 
being thoroughly in sympathy with the Southern army, 
kept them informed concerning all of General Grant's 
movements. This, of course, could not pass unnoticed. 
Grant therefore issued the following order : 

" The families now residing in the city of Memphis of the fol- 
lowing persons are required to move south beyond the lines within 
five days of the date hereof: 

^^First — All persons holding commissions in the so-called Con- 
federate army, or who would have voluntarily enlisted in said 
army, or who accompany and are connected with the same. 

''Second — All persons holding office mider or in the employ of 
the so-called Confederate Government. 

" Third — All persons holding State, county or municipal offices, 
who claim allegiance to said co-called Confederate Government, 
and who have abandoned their families and gone south. 

" Safe conduct will be given to the parties hereby required to 
leave upon aj^plication to the Provost Marshal of Memphis. 

" By command of " U. S. Grant, 

"'Major-General Commanding.''^ 

In order that he might do no act of injustice to the 
innocent General Grant gave directions to the effect that 
such as would sign a paper stating that they had never 
given, and never would give, while he occupied the city, 
aid to the Confederate army in any way whatever, should 
be exempt from the sweeping effect of the above order. 



92 LIFE OF GENERAT. GKANT. 

The Avalanche, a paper published in the city, having 
published many treasonable statements, was promptly 
suppressed. This order awakened the deepest indigna- 
tion, and all sorts of threats were made against General 
Grant, of which the following is a fair sample : 

U.S. Grant: S^r—^Ye have seen your infamous and fiendish 
proclamation. It is characteristic of your infernal policy. ... 
We had hoped that this war would be conducted upon the princi- 
ples recognized by civilized nations. But you have seen fit to 
ignore all the rules of civilized warfare, and resort to means which 
ought to and would make half-civilized nations blush. If you 
attempt to carry out your threat against the property of citizens, 
we will make you rue the day you issued your dastardly procla- 
mation. If we can't act on the principle of lex talionis, in regard 
to private property, we will visit summary vengeance upon your 
men. You call us guerillas, which you know is false. We are 
recognized hy our Government, and it was us who attacked your 
wagons at Morning Sun. We have twenty-three men of yours, 
and, as soon as you carry out your threat against the citizens of 
the vicinity of Morning Sun, your Hessians will pay for it. You 
shall conduct this war upon proper principles. We intend to force 
you to do it. If you intend to make this a war of extermination, 
you will please inform us of it at the earliest convenience. We 
are ready, and more than willing, to raise the " black flag." There 
are 2,000 partisans who have sworn to retaliate. If you do not 
retract your proclamation, you may expect to have scenes of the 
most bloody character. We all remember the manner in which 
your vandal soldiers put to death Mr. Owens, of Missouri. Hence- 
forth our motto shall be, Blood for blood, and blood for property. 
We intend, by the help of God, to hang on the outskirts of your 
raljble like liglitning around the edge of a cloud. 

We don't intend this as a threat, but simply as a warning of 
what we intend to do in case you pursue your disgraceful and 
nefarious policy toward our citizens, as marked out in your letter 
of recent date. Kespectfully, 

Geo. R. Merritt. 

During the time in which he made Corinth his head- 



THE CIVIL WAK. 03 

quarters General Grant greatly strengthened the works 
around that city. This act afterward prevented the city 
from falling into the hands of the enemy when occupied 
by General Rosecranz. Grant, upon removing from 
Corinth, established his head-quarters at Jackson. In the 
meantime the enemy, commanded by Price and Van 
Dorn, were at work. Without any warning the former 
fell upon luka, which had been placed in the connnand 
of Murphy, and obtained possession of it. Rosecranz 
and Ord were at once sent against them with some eight 
thousand men. The expedition failed to damage the 
enemy to that extent which had been anticipated, on 
account of the information imparted to the Southern 
leaders by those who were in sympathy with them. 
Price's army, which Grant confidently believed he could 
destroy, got away with little loss. A letter written by a 
Confederate soldier will give something of an idea of the 
battle at this point : 

" We held peaceable possession of luka for one 
day, and on the next were alarmed by the booming of 
cannon, and were called out to spend the evening in 
battle array in the woods. On the evening of the 19th, 
when we supposed we were going back to camp to rest 
awhile, the sharp crack of musketry on the right of our 
former lines told us that the enemy was much nearer 
than we imagined. In fact, they had almost penetrated 
the town itself. How on earth, with the woods full of 
our cavalry, they could have approached so near our 
lines is a mystery. They had planted a battery suffi- 
ciently near to shell General Price's head-quarters, and 
were cracking away at the Third brigade when the 
Fourth came up at double-quick, and then for two hours 
and fifteen minutes was kept up the most terrific fire of 
musketry that ever dinned my ears. There was one 



!J4 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

continuous roar of small arms, while grape and canister 
liowU'd in rearlul concert above our heads and through 
our ranks. General Little was shot dead early in the 
action. ... It was a terrible struggle and we lost 
heavily. All night could be heard the groans of the 
dying, forming a sequel of horror and agony to the deadly 
•struggle over which night had kindly thrown its mantle." 

General Grant was proud of the brave fellows who had 
driven out eighteen thousand Confederates and taken 
possession of their quarters. As evidence of his pleasure 
he said to them : 

*' The General commanding takes great pleasure in 
congratulating the two wings of the army commanded, 
respectively, by Major-General Ord and Major-General 
Rosecranz, upon the energy, alacrity and bravery dis- 
played by them. . . . And, while congratulating the 
noble living, it is meet to offer our condolence to the 
friends of the heroic dead, who offered their lives a sac- 
rifice in defence of constitutional liberty, and in their fall 
rendered memorable the field of luka." 

The enemy were again encountered at Ilatchie river 
and defeated. General Ord was wounded and General 
Ilackleman, of the Union forces, was killed. This vic- 
tory secured peace to Western Tennessee. No sooner 
had the good news reached Washington than the Presi- 
dent telegraphed Grant as follows : 

"AVashington, D. C, October Sth, 1862. 
"Majou-General Grant: I congratulate you and all con- 
ctTiRMl iu your recent battles and victories. How does it all 
'^"'"^'P'? "A.Lincoln.' 



^, » 



CHAPTER VI. 

ON TO VICKSBURG-^THE STORY OF AN IMPORTANT STRUGGLE 

THE DEFENCES OF VICKSBURG BASE OF SUPPLIES AT 

HOLLY SPRINGS GRANT FALLS BACK TO GRAND JUNCTION 

SHERMAN AND PORTER PROCEED AGAINST VICKSBURG 

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS GRANT'S DETERMINATION AN 

INTERVIEW WITH UNCLE JESSE THE MAN WHO WANTED 

TO SEE GRANT A '' BROBOSAL " DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI 

BADEAU'S DESCRIPTION OF A NIGHT JACKSON CAP- 
TURED THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG THE ENEMY IN DIS- 
TRESS — BLOWING UP THE ENEMY's WORKS A FLAG OF 

TRUCE — PEMBERTON ASKS FOR GRANT's TERMS OF SUR- 
RENDER grant's reply PEMBERTON OFFERS AN 

AMENDMENT '^ UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" THE ONLY 

TERMS PEMBERTON ACCEPTS HIS TREATMENT OF GRANT 

THE SURRENDER RESULTS OF THE VICTORY A TRIB- 
UTE FROM HALLECK. 

Having defeated the Confederate army at the points 
ah^eady stated, Grant proceeded to march against Vicks- 
burg. This point not only prevented our vessels from 
ascending the Mississippi, but also afforded the enemy 
a means of receiving their supplies. Vicksburg was pro- 
tected by heavy batteries established on the bluffs. To 
open the Mississippi to the Union gunboats, and de- 
stroy the power of the enemy along its banks, General 
Grant concentrated his forces near the Tallahatchie 
river in northern Mississippi, where Generals Hovey and 
Washburn had been operating with troops which they 

(95) 



9G 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



Imd led from Helena, Arkansas. Grant established a 
secondary base of supplies at Holly Springs. This place 
was captured by the enemy with all its stores, and for a 
time Grant was shut up in the enemy's country. He was 
forced to fall back to Grand Junction in order to save his 
army. Taking advantage of this movement, the Con- 
federates under Lieutenant-General J. C. Pemberton had 
gathered at Vicksburg for the purpose of protecting that 
point. On the same day when the enemy seized Grant's 
supplies, General Sherman left Memphis with transports 
bearing siege guns, intending to make an attack upon 
Vicksburg. Their numbers were increased by the union 
of troops from Hatteras, and by Commodore Porter, whose 
fleet of gunboats was at the mouth of the Yazoo river, 
just above Vicksburg. 

After consultation the two commanders deemed it ad- 
visable to attack the city in the rear, and proceeded at 
once to execute their plan. The boats and the troops 
proceeded up the Yazoo, intending to capture some bat- 
teries that blocked the way, but, being unsuccessful, 
abandoned the project. Early in the succeeding January 
General McClernand arrived, and, taking the command 
of Sherman's troops, proceeded up the Arkansas river to 
attack Confederate posts. In the meantime Grant had 
nrrnugcd his army into four corps, and wdth it descended 
the river to Memphis, determined to prosecute the siege 
of Vicksburg with vigor. He soon became convinced 
that the place could not be taken by direct assault. He 
next tried to perfect the canal which Farragut had en- 
deavored to build around Vicksburg, but failed to do so. 
His next move was to send a land and naval force up the 
Yazoo to gain the rear of Vicksburg, but was defeated in 
tlie attempt. Still he would not give up the fight. He 
had resolved to gain possession of the city, and he deter- 




97 



gg LIFE OP GENERAL GRANT. 

mined not to abandon the struggle until the flag he loved 
so well was Hoating over the enemy's intrenclmients. 

One day an old friend of Grant's, Jesse R. Dubois, of 
Illinois, went down to Vicksburg to see him. Jesse said 
to Grant : 

'' Now, Ulysses, how do you expect to take Vicks- 
burg?" 

" I don't know. Uncle Jesse," replied Grant. " I am 
somewhat embarrassed and at times in doubt. I have 
tried a good many things and failed, and I don't know 
just what I shall do next. Some want me to go back to 
Mc'ni[)his and commence an overland march from that 
point, but I don't want to do it if I can help it." 

" Don't do that, Ulysses," said Uncle Jesse, " for if you 
were to take this army back to Memphis, with all its 
array of gunboats, transports and materials of war, it 
would have a most disastrous effect on the country. We 
have just got through one election by the skin of our 
teeth, and will soon have another one upon us. The fact 
is, the whole Northwest is on the verge of revolution. If 
you go back you will strengthen the hands of the rebels 
in the South and the Knights of the Golden Circle in the 
North. They will call your movement a retreat, and 
more loudly than ever assert that the South cannot be 
whipped. If you can do no better, storm Vicksburg and 
take it if it costs the country the lives of 40,000 men. 
Such a loss is a terrible thing to think of, but it cannot 
be helped. Ulysses, Vicksburg must be taken." 

Grant made no reply. The hour being late, he retired 
soon after. He arose early the next morning, and, calling 
Dubois to him, said, with a cheerful countenance : "Uncle 
Jesse, I have thought it all over. Go home to-day and 
tell (iovernor Yates and the people of Illinois that I will 
take Vicksburg in sixty days." 



THE CIVIL WAR. 99 

He kept his promise, jind almost to a day Vicksburg 
surrendered, and the iieart of Uncle Jesse, as well as that 
of many another, was made glad. 

Another incident which occurred during this campaign 
will serve to show the purity of Grant's character. 

One day, as he was busy in his tent, engaged with his 
military plans, he heard his orderly engaged in conversa- 
tion with a visitor, as follows: 

" Is ze slieneral in ze tent?" 

" Yes, sir ; but he is busy with his maps, and can't see 
you." 

"Oh, den he is goin' to adwance? My goodness 
gracious, my vriend, I must zee ze slieneral for a few little 
moments." 

" Can't be done, sir. I liave orders to admit no one." 

" But is he goin' to adwance ?" 

" How should I know ? General Grant does not 2:en- 
erally tell his orderlies his jolans." 

" But if lie vood advance, vare vood he go — ^into ze 
cotton region, vood he not?" 

" How should I know ? " 

" My vrend, I haf a most important brobosal to make 
to ze sheneral — a brobosal, mind you, my young vriend." 

'' Can't hear your proposal, sir. Please to step out 
and go on." 

" Sthop von little moment, my young vriend. Sthop 
von little moment. Vill you blease say to Sheneral 
Grant I haf von gran' object for him, von rich specula- 
tion on ze cotton — do you see ? " 

General Grant, who had heard the conversation from 
the beginning, recognized the speaker as one of those 
vampires who were wont to follow the army. Suddenly 
arising from his chair, he stepped to the door of the tent, 
and seizing the fellow by the collar, lifted him from the 



100 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

o-rouiid and hurled him into a mud-puddle clo.se by. Be- 
fore the orderly could recover from his surprise, or the vic- 
tim exactly comprehend what had occurred, Grant had 
returned to his tent and was busily engaged with his maps 
and plans as though nothing had happened. It is scarcely 
necessary to add that this man did not make any further 
proposals. 

Grant's next move was to send a strong land force 
down the western side of the Mississippi, while Porter 
ran by the batteries at Vicksburg in the night with nearly 
his whole fleet. Of that memorable night Badeau says: 

"The night of the IGth of April was selected for the 
undertaking. There was no moon, and by ten o'clock all 
was ready. One after another, and as silently as possible, 
the venturous fleet steamed down the river to the bend. 
From this point they proceeded more leisurely, drifting 
with the current, the gunboats in advance. Porter led 
the way, on the ' Benton,' and reached the first batteries 
without being discovered ; but, at sixteen minutes past 
eleven, the artillery opened from the bluffs; the admiral 
responding with a heavy fire." 

As they proceeded on their way the storm of shot and 
shell continued with unabated fury. For two hours and 
forty minutes this continued, at the end of which time all 
the gunboats had got out of range. 

Grant then prepared for vigorous operation in the rear 
of Vicksburg, on the line of the Black river. On the 
27tli of April, Porter ran by the Confederate batteries at 
(I rand Gulf, at which time also Grant's army crossed a 
little below, and defeated the enemy near Port Gibson. 
Grant then sent word to Sherman to proceed at once 
down the western side of the Mississippi and join him. 
This was done, and the united forces proceeded against 
Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, and captured it. 



I 



102 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



Then the victorious troops pushed westward toward 
Vicksburg. Having defeated the enemy in two engage- 
ments, the army swept on, and closely invested the 
strongly fortified city in the rear. Porter had established 
a station on the Yazoo, and from this the army obtained 
its supplies. After a short rest, Grant began the siege of 
Vicksburg. Sherman had been located at Walnut Hills, 
near Chickasaw Bayou, thus cutting off the force of the 
enemy at Haines' Bluff. In the meantime, McClernand, 
advancing on the left, had taken possession of Mount 
Albans, so as to cover the roads proceeding from it. Por- 
ter, with his fleet of gunboats, was just above Vicksburg 
and was preparing to fully carry out Grant's plans. Thus 
established, Grant was holding a line almost twenty miles 
in length, extending from the Yazoo to the Mississippi, at 
Warren ton. On the day following the arrival of his 
troops before them. Grant prepared to make an attack 
upon the Confederate batteries. Sherman began the 
attack on the afternoon of May 19th, Blair's division 
taking the lead. Throughout the morning there had 
been artillery firing, but now there was closer work. 
After a severe engagement the Union forces were repulsed. 
Grant then engaged Porter to assist in another assault on 
the 22d. All through the night of the 21st, Porter kept 
SIX mortars playing upon the city and the works, and 
sent three gunboats to make an attack ujDon the water- 
batteries. 

That night was a terrible one for Vicksburg. But 
(Ircadl'iil as it was, the day which followed was more 
dreadful still. At ten o'clock on the 22d, Grant's whole 
hue pressed on to the attack. As on a previous occasion, 
151an- led the van, and soon the battle was general all 
»l'>ng the line. They were repulsed at two different 
points, but still they fought on. Finally the cheering 






THE CIVIL WAIl. 103 

ntelligence was received that McCleriiand, who was on 
he left, had taken two forts. Sherman's troops then 
nade another charge upon the enemy's works, but with- 
)ut success. The centre, led by McPherson, met with 
10 better success and were meeting with heavy losses. 
it soon became evident that McClernand could not hold 
,vhat he had won from the enemy. Up to this time the 
Jnion forces had lost something like 3,000 men. 

Grant now determined upon a regular siege, and im- 
nediately began to unite lines. Reinforcements coming 
n, his forces soon numbered 70,000 men. The orders 
i:iven to the enemy by General Pemberton forbade the 
ivaste of ammunition, and hence General Grant was able 
to throw up his works within a short distance of the 
breastworks of the enemy. Porter kept up a steady 
stream of fire upon the city, during the day only, for 
forty days. Supplies having been cut off, the besieged 
found their provisions running short. Says Badeau : 

" The price of food in the town had by this time risen 
enormously. Flour was .five dollars a pound, or a thou- 
sand dollars a barrel (rebel money) ; meal was one hun- 
dred and forty dollars a bushel ; molasses, ten and twelve 
dollars a gallon ; and beef (very often oxen killed by the 
national shells and picked up by the butchers) was sold 
at two dollars and two dollars and a half by the pound. 
Mule-meat sold at a dollar a pound, and was in great 
demand. Many families had eaten the last mouthful of 
food they possessed, and the poorer classes of non-com- 
batants were on the verge of starvation. There was 
scarcely a building that had not been struck by shells, 
and many were entirely demolished. A number of 
women and children had been killed or wounded by 
mortar-shells or balls, and all who did not remain in the 
damp caves of the hillsides were in danger. Even the 



j„j LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

hospitals where the wounded lay were sometimes struck, 
for it was found impossible to prevent occasional shells 
from falling on the buildings, which of course would have 
been sacred from an intentional fire. Fodder was ex- 
hausted, and the horses were compelled to subsist wholly 
on corn-tops, the corn being all ground into meal for the 

soldiers." 

The progress of the mining operations was such that 
on the 25th of June a fort which the Confederates had 
established on the immediate right of the Jackson road, 
and occupied by the Third Louisiana regiment, was 
blown up. The enemy had anticipated this movement, 
and had withdrawn to an inner line of intrenchments, so 
that it followed that only a few men were injured by the 
explosion. As soon as the fort had been blown up a 
strong column advanced to storm the line. They were 
met l)y the Sixth Missouri, and a bloody contest ensued, 
in which there was a heavy loss on both sides. The 
Federal force then retired. 

Four days later the same portion of the enemy's line 
was again blown up, but no attempt to charge was made. 
The enemy made several attempts to countermine, but 
were unsuccessful. On the 3d of July, about half-past 
seven in tlio morning, a flag of truce was seen on the 
crest of a hill above the camp of General Burridge. An 
officer was at once despatched to escort the bearers of it 
(who were two Confederate officers), blindfolded, to the 
tent of General A. J. Smith. These officers were Major- 
General Bowen and Colonel Montgomery, of Virginia. 
They bore the following despatch from General Pem- 
berton to General Grant : 

" Head-quarters, Vicksburg, July od, 1863. 
■" Miij.-(jcn. U. H. Grant, commanding U. S. Forces: 

"Gknkj{al : I have the honor to propose to you an armistice for 



THE CIVIL WAR. 105 

hours, with a view of arranging for the capitulation of 

Vicksburg. To this end, if agreeable to you, I will appoint three 
commissioners to meet a like number named by yourself, at such 
place and hour as you may find convenient. I make this proposi- 
tion to save further effusion of blood, which must otherwise be 
shed to a frightful extent, feeling myself fully able to maintain my 
position a yet indefinite period. This communication will be 
handed you, under a flag of truce, by Major-General James Bowen. 
" Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

" John C. Pembertox." 

To this despatch General Grant replied as follows : 

Head-quarters Department of Tenni<:ssee, 
" In the Field near Vicksburg, July ^d, 1863. 
"'Lieut.- Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding Confederate Forces, etc. : 

" General : Your note of this date, just received, proposes an 
armistice for several hours, for the purpose of arranging terms of 
capitulation, through commissioners to be appointed, etc. The 
effusion of blood you propose stopping by this course can be ended 
at any time you may choose by an unconditional surrender of the 
city and garrison. Men who have shown so much endurance and 
courage as those now in Vicksburg will always challenge the re- 
spect of an adversary, and, I can assure you, will be treated with 
all the respect due them as prisoners of war. I do not favor the 
proposition of appointing commissioners to arrange terms of 
capitulation, because I have no other terms than those indicated 
above. 

" I am, General, ver}- respectfully, your obedient servant, 

''U. S. Grant, Major- GeneraV 

In a subsequent communication Grant stated the terms 
upon which he would accept the surrender of Vicksburg : 
^' As soon as paroles can be made out and signed by officers 
and men you will be allowed to march out of our lines — 
the officers taking with them regimental clothing, and staff, 
field and cavalry officers one horse each. The rank and 
file will be allowed all their clothing, but no other prop- 
erty. If the conditions are accepted, any amount of 



106 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 



rations you may deem necessary can be taken from the 
stores you now have, and also cooking utensils for pre- 
paring them. Thirty wagons also— counting two two- 
horse or mule teams as one— will be allowed you to 
transport such articles as cannot be carried along. The 
same conditions will be allowed to all sick and wounded 
officers and privates as fast as they become able to travel. 
The paroles for these latter must be signed, however, 
whilst officers are present authorized to sign the roll of 
prisoners." 

To the proposal Pemberton objected on the ground 
that it was unjust in its treatment of his soldiers. He 
proposed the following amendment : 

" At ten o'clock to-morrow I propose to evacuate the 
works in and around Vicksburg, and to surrender the 
city and garrison under my command by marching out 
with my colors and arms, and stacking them in front of 
my present lines, after which you will take possession. 
Officers to retain their side arms and personal property, 
and the rights and property of citizens to be respected." 

To this letter General Grant immediately replied as. 
follows : 

J " Head-quarters Department of the Tennessee, 
1 "'■Before Vicksburg^ July Ath, 1863. 

" Lieut.-Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding forces in Vicksburg : 

"General: I have the honor to acknowledge your communi- 
cation of 3d July. The amendments proposed by you cannot be 
acceded to in full. It will be necessary to furnish every officer 
and man with a parole, signed by himself, which, with completion 
of the rolls of prisoners, will necessarily take some time. Again, 
I can make no stipulation in regard to the treatment of citizens 
and their private property. While I do not propose to cause 
any of them any undue annoyance or loss, I cannot consent to 
liavc myself under restraint by stipulations. The property wliich 
officers can be allowed to take with them will be the same as stated 
in jiropositiou of last evening If you mean by your propo- 



'7 IJT*> 




107 



JOS LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

sition for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now oc- 
cupied by it, and stack tlieir arras at ten o'clock a. m., and then 
return inside and remain as prisoners until properly paroled, I 
^vill make no objections to it. Should no modification be made 
of your acceptance of my terms by nine o'clock a. m., I shall re- 
gard them as having been rejected, and act accordingly. Should 
these terms l)e accepted, white flags will be displayed along your 
lines to prevent such of my troops as may not have been notified 
from firing upon your men. 

" I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Major-General U. S. Army." 

This arrangement was at once accepted by General 
Peniberton, and at ten o'clock on the same day the Con- 
federate forces marched out and stacked arms in front of 
tlieir works, while General Pemberton and staff appeared 
for a moment upon the parapet of the central front. 
The meeting between General Grant and General Pem- 
berton the former described as follows : 

"• While one of the Illinois regiments," he said, "was 
raising its flag upon the court house at Vicksburg, I 
deemed it but an act of courtesy to pay my respects to 
Pemberton, and went in search of his head-quarters. I 
found him seated on the piazza of a house, surrounded 
by his officers and staff. No one advanced to receive me 
or recognized my j)resence in any way. I dismounted 
my horse and joined the party on the porch, when Pem- 
IxTtou acknowledged the acquaintance by a slight nod. 
Hl' offered me no seat, and I remained standing while he 
and his subordinates were sitting. A Mississippi general 
linally arose and pushed toward me his chair. 

" Tiie day was oppressively warm and cloudy, and to 
relieve the constraint of the interview I asked for a glass 
of water. Pemberton pointed to the interior of the 
house, and I groped my way through it to a well in the 
rr:ir, wlicrc 1 Ibund a negro, who drew up a bucket and 



THE CIVIL WAE. 



109 



tendered me a drink from a gourd. I returned to the 
party on the piazza and found my chair reoccupied, and 
although I remained standing for twenty minutes I was 
not offered a seat again ; and I left Pemberton and went 
on my way. Our sole conversation was about the supply 
of rations for his troops, and I learned then, for the first 
time, the number of men who had surrendered, having 
presumed all along that there were but 15,000 to 20,000 
men in the garrison." 

The result of his operations is thus summed up by 
General Grant: 




CAVE LIFE IN VICKSBURG DURING ITS SIEGE. 

" The result of this campaign has been the defeat of 
the enemy in five battles outside of Vicksburg, the 
occupation of Jackson, the capital of the State of Mis- 
sissippi, and the capture of Vicksburg and its garrison 
and munitions of war ; a loss to the enemy of 30,000 
prisoners, among whom were fifteen general officers ; at 
least 10,000 killed and wounded, and among the killed 
Generals Tracy, Tilghman and Green ; and hundreds, 
and perhaps thousands, of stragglers, who can never be 
reorganized. Arms and munitions of war for an army 
of 60,000 men have fallen into our hands, besides a large 



nn LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, 
locouiotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, etc. ; and much was 
destroyed to prevent our capturing it. 

'• Our loss in the series of battles may be summed up 
as ibllows : 1,243 killed, 7,095 wounded and 537 missing. 
01" the wounded, many were but slightly wounded, and 
continued on duty; many more required but a few days 
or weeks for their recovery. Not more than one-half of 
the wounded were permanently disabled." 

On Saturday, the 11th of July, the paroles were com- 
pleted, and at half an hour before noon the rebel garrison 
took up its line of march from Vicksburg and proceeded 
to ]5ig Black river. As they reached the fortifications, 
each man's name was called and checked off on the rolls. 
National troops were placed as guards on both sides of the 
road, for some distance beyond the intrenchments ; and, 
in all the bitterness of defeat, the prisoners inarched by. 
Ail that had heretofore passed was as nothing to this. 
Amid the thickest storm of battle there had always been 
the expectation of succor or success; while they lay on 
the weary picket, or in the hot trenches, they had still 
hoped on, though hope was long deferred. But now all 
hope was gone ; the rebel yell of defiance, so often raised 
in battle, opposed to the national cheer, might not be 
heard; their willing hands no longer grasped familiar 
weapons; the standards, under which they had fought 
so proudly, were in the keeping of their conquerors. 
Large tear-drops fell on many a weather-beaten face, 
:ind ever and anon they paused, and, turning back, 
toolv one last look at the city they had striven so hard 
to retain. The national army gazed on in silence; 
proud as was the sight to them, exultant as were the 
'•"lotions with which they contemplated a spectacle that 
ivpaid (li.Mii a thousand-fold for all their toils, and 



THE CIVIL WAR. Ill 

wounds, and sufferings, they yet could not but pity the 
humiliation of their foes. No insulting taunt was heard, 
no cheer of triumph nor mocking cannon saluted the ears 
of the prisoners. Silently and sadly they moved on, and 
in a few hours were free from the taint of treason. 

On the 13th the President addressed the following 
letter to General Grant ; 

"Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C, July 13^/i, 18G3. 

" My dear General : I do not remember that you and I ever 
met personally. I write this now as a grateful acknowledgment 
for the almost inestimable service you have done the country. I 
wish to say a word further. When you first reached the vicinity 
of Vicksburg I thought you should do what you finally did — 
march the troops across the neck, run the batteries with the trans- 
ports and thus go below, and I never had any faith, except a gen- 
eral liope that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expe- 
dition and tlie like could succeed. When you got below and took 
Port Gibson, Grand Gulf and vicinity, I thought you sliould go 
down the river and join General Banks ; and when you turned 
northward, east of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I 
now wish to make a personal acknowledgment that you were right 
.and I was wrong. "Yours very truly, 

^^ Major- General Grant. "A. Lincoln." 

General Halleck, who had never acted very friendly 
toward General Grant, in a letter acknowledging Grant's 
modest account of the capitulation, says : " Your report, 
dated July 6th, of your campaign in Mississippi, ending 
in the capitulation of Vicksburg, was received last even- 
ing. Your narration of the campaign, like the operations 
themselves, is brief, soldierly and in every respect cred- 
itable and satisfactory. In boldness of plan, rapidity of 
execution and brilliancy of routes, those operations will 
compare favorably with those of Napoleon about Ulm. 
You and your army have well deserved the gratitude of 
your country, and it will be the boast of our children 



112 THE CIVIL WAR. 

that their fathers were of the heroic army which reopened 
the Mississippi river." 

In his annual report General Halleck also says : 
" When we consider the character of the country in 
wliich this army operated, the formidable obstacles to be 
overcome, the number of forces and the strength of the 
enemy's works, we cannot fail to admire the courage and 
endurance of the troops and the skill and daring of their 
commander. No more brilliant exploit can be found in 
militar}^ history. It has been alleged, and the allegation 
has been widely circulated by the press, that General 
Grant, in the conduct of his campaign, positively dis- 
obeyed the instructions of his superiors. It is hardly 
necessary to remark that General Grant never disobeyed 
an order or instruction, but always carried out to the 
best of his ability every wish or suggestion made to him 
by the Government. Moreover, he has never comjDlained 
that the Government did not furnish him all the means 
and assistance in its power to facilitate the execution of 
any plan he saw fit to adopt." 

These statements, coming as they did from General 
Halleck, served to correct many false impressions which 
had gone out concerning General Grant and his move- 
ments. In appreciation of the services thus rendered, 
Congress made him a Major-General in the regular army.. 



CHAPTER VII. 

MISSISSIPPI OPENED TO TRADE GRANT WANTS TO ATTACK 

MOBILE, BUT IS NOT PERMITTED REINFORCES ROSECRANZ 

AN INCIDENT — " YOU MAY STOP AWHILE, CAPTAIN " 

GRANT INJURED CHICKAMAUGA THE SECRETARY OF 

WAR TELEGRAPHS FOR GRANT IS GIVEN A NEW COM- 
MAND — THE STRUGGLE FOR CHATTANOOGA PEMBERTON's 

OPINION BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN " WE'vE 

WHIPPED 'em, general" CONGRESS PRESENTS GRANT 

WITH A GOLD MEDAL IS MADE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 

RECOLLECTIONS OF GRANT. 

For a long time the Mississippi had been closed to the 
northwestern trade, and the people now began to clamor 
for the re-establishment of business with the South. In 
this desire they met a ready support from Chase, at that 
time Secretary of the Treasury. Grant, however, looked 
at the matter in a different light. He believed to do so 
would be to open the South to an army of adventurers. 
Subsequent events clearly showed that he had not been 
mistaken in his opinion. 

About this time Grant expressed a desire to move on 
Mobile, but notwithstanding he urged this step upon the 
Government, still he was not permitted to take the step. 

" I am confident," he wrote, " that Mobile could now 
be taken with a comparatively small force. At least a 
demonstration in that direction would either result in the 

(113) 



114 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

abandonment of the city or force the enemy to weaken 
Bragg's army to hold it." 

To have carried out his j)lan of action would have been 
to continue the series of victories which had been inau- 
gurated. Instead of being permitted to do so, however, 
liis troops were taken from him to reinforce Banks and 
Eosecranz — the latter being established at that time at 
Chattanooga. 

While Grant was at Vicksburg, an incident occurred 
which is well worthy of note just here. The Mississippi 
had been opened for navigation, and steamers, as they left 
the wharf at Vicksburg, often bore with them soldiers to 
whom furloughs had been granted. One day Grant ap- 
proached a person standing on a wheel-house at the levee, 
and asked : 

" Are you captain of this steamer ? " 

" I am. General," was the reply. 

"Are you about going off?" 

" Yes, sir." 

" How many officers and soldiers have you on board ? " 

"About twelve hundred and fifty, sir." 

" What is the average price you charge them from 
Vicksburg to Cairo, captain ? " 

" From ten to twenty-five dollars each. General." 

" Is that all ? Very moderate — very moderate, indeed ! 
From ten to twenty-five dollars each for United States 
officers and soldiers, from Vicksburg to Cairo. See here, 
captain," continued Grant, somewhat warmly, " you may 
tie up your steamer a little while. It seems a great pity 
you should have to transport the boys at such extrava- 
gantly low prices. You may stop awhile, captain." 

And with these words Grant quietly walked to his 
head-quarters. Seating himself before his table, he wrote 
an (jrder bidding the captain of the steamer pay back all 



THE CIVIL WAR. 115 

that he had received over seven dollars from the officers 
and five dollars from the men, on the pain of having his 
boat and cargo confiscated to the Government. This 
order was at once carried into effect. 

In the meantime the passengers were wondering why 
the steamer did not start, but wdien they learned the 
reason, then a glad chorus of cheers arose as an evidence 
that they appreciated this kindness on his part. 

"A pretty piece of business, this, as it stands," re- 
marked Grant to one of his staff. " I will teach a lesson 
to these steam-pirates; plundering the men who have 
opened the river for them of their hard-earned wages. 
The old Mississippi is all free to honorable navigation, 
but not to imposition. No, sir, not to imposition, sir, 
while I am in command at Vicksburg." 

While on a visit to New Orleans to see General Banks 
before the latter departed for Texas, General Grant was 
thrown from his horse and badly injured. So severe was 
the injury that for twenty days he was forced to lie in one 
position. He did not return until September 16th. He had 
to be moved on his couch, and it was not until the 25th 
that he was able to get around with the aid of crutches. 

During this time Rosecranz had concentrated his force 
near the Chickamauga river. Here he gave battle to the 
enemy, and was badly beaten, and had it not been for 
Thomas, would have lost nearly, if not quite, all of his 
army. It became at once evident that it needed some 
one having Grant's make-up to take hold of the matter. 
The Secretary of War telegraphed as follows : 

" It is the wish of the Secretary of War that as soon 
as General. Grant is able to take the field he will come to 
Cairo and report by telegraph." 

To this Grant replied from Columbus, Kentucky, as 
follows : 



116 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT 



" Your despatch from Cairo, of the 3d, directing me to 
report at Cairo, was received at 11.30 on the 10th. Left 
tlie same day with staff and head-quarters, and am here, 
< /; route for Cairo." 

The Secretary of War met General Grant at Indian- 
apohs, and gave him an order estabUshing for him a new 
command, afterwards known as the Military Division of 
the Mississippi. This was to embrace all the territory 
between the Alleghenies and the Mississippi river, except- 
ing only that occupied by Banks' Division. 

Grant then proceeded to Nashville, and was here given 
permission to decide whether Thomas or Rosecranz should 

take charge of the army 
under him. He decided 
in favor of Thomas, and 
immediately sent an or- 
der to Chattanooga in- 
forming that officer of 
his appointment. Grant 
hastened on as fast as 
possible. Having re- 
ceived from Washino^- 
ton the intelligence that 
there was some danger 
of the Union troops not 
being able to maintain 
their existing position, he telegraphed Thomas : 

" Hold Ghattamoija at all hazards. I will U there soon 
as j)ossihle" 

Thomas replied: 

''/ iclll hold tlie town till I starve ! " 

From Nashville Grant and his staff" proceeded on horse- 
back. Grant was still obliged to use crutches, and of 
course tins mode of travelling was somewhat severe. But 




GEORGE H. THOMAS. 



THE CIVIL WAIi. 117 

under the circumstances it seemed to be the best thing to 
be done. The recent rains had rendered the roads ahnost 
impassable. At some points the horses were led by the 
€scort, and Grant was tenderly carried in the arms of the 
soldiers over the most difficult places. 

Having reached Chattanooga, Grant at once proceeded 
to the head-quarters of General Thomas and telegraphed 
his arrival to the Department at Washington. The pres- 
ence of Grant at Chattanooga infused new life into the 
" boys in blue." The enemy, on the contrary, regarded 
it as meaning ill to them. 

It is stated that one day Jefferson Davis visited the 
army at this point, and while here said, with a sneer, to 
General Bragg, who was standing beside him : 

"All right; we have the Federals now. This is the 
right spot of all others where we should wish them to be. 
Now let them come on ! " 

General Pemberton, who had given up his sword to 
Grant at Vicksburg, chanced to hear the remark. He 
very quietly said : 

" Mr. President, excuse me. I have been blamed for 
not ordering an attack on Grant at Vicksburg ; but allow 
me to say, sir, that if you order an attack on him here 
in Chattanooga, the result will be that he will soon stand 
where we are standing now." 

Davis made no reply, but subsequent events proved the 
correctness of Pemberton's prediction. 

Early in November it became evident that the two 
armies would meet in decisive conflict. Burnside had 
been stationed at Knoxville, and it was decided by the 
Confederate authorities that he must be driven from his 
position. The distance from Chattanooga to Knoxville 
is something like eighty miles. Several causes delayed 
the advance of Longstreet, who had been detailed to do 



118 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

this work. He, however, did appear before the place on 
the 17th, and was repulsed. He then decided to starve 
the troops into a surrender. Grant despatched troops to 
the relief of the besieged general, and the enemy were 
forced to quit the field. 

In the meantime a decisive action had occurred else- 
where. On the 16th Grant issued orders for an attack 
upon the enemy at Chattanooga. On the right was 
Hooker, liis division extending to the west side of Look- 
out Mountain. Thomas occupied the centre, looking 
toward Missionary Ridge. Sherman held the extreme 
left, and at the time was on the north side of the river, 
creeping cautiously toward Missionarj- Ridge behind the 
shelter of a range of hills. 

On the 23d Thomas moved forward in such close and 
well-ordered lines that the enemy, as they watched him, 
supposed that he was preparing for a review and a drill. 
As they continued to approach, the Confederates became 
alarmed and sprang to their guns. The Union forces still 
continued to press forw^ard, and notwithstanding the fierce 
fire of the enemy, succeeded in reaching the fort of 
Orchard Knob. This is a prominent peak, and it was 
deemed important to take it. Without an instant's halt 
the troops rushed up the hill and routed the enemy. 
During the succeeding night a heavy battery was planted 
on the hill, and the whole line was strongly intrenched. 

Karly in the morning of the 24th (a dark, disagree- 
al)le day it was, with rain and mist falling alternately), 
with Sherman at the head, 3,000 men were on the 
move with pontoons, and at daylight had succeeded in 
driving the enemy from a desirable position, and at noon 
had laid two pontoon bridges. One of these was fourteen 
hundred feet long, spanning the Tennessee; the other two 
lii'iulred feet, extending over the South Chickamau^a, 



I|l/tf 'l,!|,,,,,,, 




m i 



l.ii 



»i'''MPI 



ill ' *l. 



119 



120 LIFE OF ge:n^ekal graxt. 

opening up a route for the cavalry. At one o'clock Sher- 
man led his troops over these bridges. It was his inten- 
tion to fall at once on Bragg's right. But on reaching the 
summit of the hill he found that he could not carry out 
his original plan. Moving on he began the ascent of 
Lookout Mountain. A fierce conflict followed which has 
since become celebrated as " the battle above the clouds." 
It was a fierce struggle, but it ended in victory for the 
Union forces. 

The sun on the following day arose in a cloudless sky. 
The attack upon the enemy was renewed. Eagerly the 
soldiers pressed on, and throughout the day poured an un- 
ceasing storm of lead into the ranks of the enemy. Like 
brave men the latter stood their ground, determined not 
to yield. But the odds were too great for them. Like an 
unchecked avalanche the hosts of Grant swept down upon 
them. Just as the sun sank behind the western hills, 
painting the skies with the beauties of an autumnal sun- 
set, the shout of victory rose from the lips of the patriots 
of the North. The enemy threw down their arms in regi- 
ments, and a few cannoneers, who still stood defiantly 
by their guns, were bayoneted in the battle-frenzy that 
had carried the victorious army up that murderous steep, 
and the guns themselves were promptly turned upon the 
now already fleeing foe. After the second line of rifle 
pits had been taken, Grant could no longer remain at 
Orchard Knob, but at once proceeded to the front. As 
he rode over the battle-field some of the soldiers recognized 
him. He was greeted with cheers, some of the men also 
slioutino; : 

'• We've whipped 'em. General ! — all we wanted was a 
leader ! The Army of the Cumberland ain't filled with 
cowards ! We are even ivith 'em now for Cliicha7nauga! " 

By midnight Bragg, seeing the hopelessness of the 



THE CIVIL WAR. 12i 

situation, had abandoned all his positions on Lookout 
Mountain, Chattanooga Valley, and Missionary Ridge. 
The enemy were pursued as far as circumstances would 
permit. 

Grant issued the following address of congratulation to 
his troops : 

" Head-quarters Military Division of the Mississippi. 
''In the Field, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 10th, 1863. 
"The Genenil commanding takes this opportunity of returning 
his sincere thanks and congratulations to the brave Armies of the 
■Cumberland, the Ohio, the Tennessee, and their comrades from 
the Potomac, for the recent splendid and decisive successes 
achieved over the enemy. In a short time you have recovered 
from them the control of the Tennessee river from Bridgeport to 
Knoxville. You dislodged him from Chattanooga Valley, wrested 
from his determined grasp the possession of Missionary Ridge, 
repelled with heavy loss to him his repeated assaults upon Knox- 
ville, forcing him to raise the siege there, driving him at all points, 
utterly routed and discomfited, beyond the limits of the State. 
By your noble heroism and determined courage you have eflfect- 
iially defeated the plans of the enemy for regaining possession of 
the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. You have secured posi- 
tions from which no rebellious power can drive or dislodge you. 
For all this the General commanding thanks you collectively and 
individually. The loyal people of the United States thank and 
bless you. Their hopes and prayers for your success against this 
unholy rebeUion are with you daily. Their faith in you will not 
be in vain. Their hopes will not be blasted. Their prayers to 
Almighty God will be answered. You will yet go to other fields 
of strife, and with the invincible bravery and unflinching loyalty 
to justice and right which have characterized you in the past you 
will prove that no enemy can withstand you, and that no defences, 
however formidable, can check your onward march. 

" By order Major-General U. S. Grant. 

" T. S. Boioers, A. A. G^ 

The United States Congress, which was sitting at that 
time, promptly showed its appreciation of the services thus 



122 LIFE OF GEXERAL GRAXT. 

rendered by General Grant. A gold medal was ordered 
to be struck and presented to him as an evidence of the 
national appreciation of his services. It was decided to 
revive the office of Lieutenant-Goneral, and to offer that 
position to Grant. When the proposition was presented 
to Lincoln, the latter said : " I have never seen Grant. 
Before I appoint him I want to learn all about him that 
is possible. Who of his friends knows him best?" A 
gentleman named Russell Jones was named, and it was 
not lono- before the President was in conversation with 
him. The result was the appointment was confirmed, and 
Grant was summoned at once to Washington. 

Grant reached the national capital at about five o'clock 
in the afternoon, and so unpretentious was his appearance 
that he had taken his seat at the table of Willard's Hotel 
before his presence was known. Among those present 
was a gentleman who had previously met Grant, and it 
was not long before his presence was made known. " The 
hero of Vicksburg is here," was the whispered expression 
which passed from one to another, and in the next instant 
a perfect storm of cheers burst forth from the lips of an 
admiring people. 

At one o'clock on the following day, the 9th of March, 
accompanied by his staff and his son Fred, he was received 
by the President and his Cabinet. After the introduc- 
tion which followed, the President stepped forward and 
said : 

" General Grant : The nation's appreciation of what 
you have done, and its reliance upon you for what re- 
mains to be done in the existing great struggle, are now 
presented with this commission, constituting you Lieu- 
tenant-General in the Army of the United States. With 
this high honor devolves upon you also a corresponding 
responsibility. As the country herein trusts you, so. 



VJ4 THE CIVIL WAR. 

under God, it will sustain you. I scarcely need to add 
that with what I here speak for the nation goes my own 
hearty personal concurrence." 

General Grant replied as follows : 

'• Mr. President : I accept the commission^ with grati- 
tude for the high honor conferred. With the aid of the 
noble armies that have fought on so many fields for our 
common country, it will be my earnest endeavor not to 
disappoint your expectations. I feel the full weight of 
the responsibilities now devolving on me, and I know that 
if they are to be met, it will be due to those armies, and, 
above all, to the favor of that Providence which leads both 
nations and men." 

Despite a general confidence in the final success of the 
national cause at this time, there were contingencies and 
anxieties that President Lincoln felt should be known to 
and shared by the military leader in whom the hopes of 
the country were now placed. Secretary Seward had con- 
vincino: reasons for knowins: that the dan2;er of foreign 
intervention had not passed away, and that any serious 
check to the Federal arms might bring it upon us so sud- 
denly and effectively as to completely turn the tide of 
events. Secretary Chase was holding gloomy views con- 
cerning the financial future, owing to the enormous and 
steadily growing cost of the Federal armaments. Secre- 
tary Stanton, who never permitted himself to think of 
but one end, had begun to doubt whether the means to 
tliat end would hold out in sufficient measure and dura- 
lion. President 'Lincoln embodied in his own person the 
di.s(pjieting knowledge and the fears of all his heads of 
departments. General Grant, away off in the West, hold- 
ing little official connnunication with Washington, and 
IK'rsonally a stranger to the members of the administration, 
had cuini)aratively little knowledge of the general situa- 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 125 

tion, and was of that mental habit that concentrates a 
man's thoughts upon the thing of the moment. 

" It needed the visit to Washington and contact with 
the President and Cabinet to bear in upon him the su- 
preme importance, from the stand-point of both domestic 
and foreign pohtics, of successfully assailing the army of 
Lee and the capital of the Confederacy. So long as both 
remained defiantly almost within the shadow of the 
national capital, victories in the West in large part failed 
of their proper immediate effect, and in truth served to 
quicken the desperate efforts which Secretary Seward 
knew the Emperor Napoleon to be making to gain mate- 
rial or at least moral support in Europe for an interven- 
tion. In the eyes of the Administration General Lee's 
army was the indispensable objective point of any opera- 
tion designed to aftect public opinion at home or abroad, 
and hence the conclusion that General Grant should take 
charge of the Army of the Potomac and conduct a move- 
ment against Richmond and the army under Lee. 

" He went out to General Meade's head-quarters, and as 
the result of a prolonged conference with that commander, 
in which he gained some new views of a new situation, he 
resolved not to displace Meade, either by assuming the 
immediate conmiand himself, or by procuring the assign- 
ment of another to the command. It was characteristic 
of Grant that, having made up his mind on this important 
matter, his decision was full and final. In spite of assu- 
rances from friends at Washington, in the West and in 
Meade's own army, that the removal of that officer was 
little short of a necessity, he never entertained the 
thought of displacing him from first to last; and so little 
did he interfere with the internal administration of the 
Army of the Potomac that he did not propose Sheridan 
for the command of the cavalry until he learned that 



1.2,; THE CIVIL WAR. 

Moado wished a change, and altliough he repeatedly made 
known to Meade his wisli to displace Warren from the 
command of the Fifth Corps, he yielded to the tenacity 
Avith which Meade clung to that officer, until Sheridan 
took the matter into his own hands in an emergency. 

" Upon joining the Army of the Potomac, General Grant 
established for himself a little camp four miles distant from 
the general head-quarters, and here he received and 
listened to such officers of that army as chose to call upon 
him, but quietly kept off" intrigue and insubordination, 
and this course he steadily pursued to the close, 

" Before opening the campaign, he startled the authori- 
ties at Washington b}' asking that General McClellan 
might be restored to active duty, and became so urgent 
about it, taking such a high view of McClellan's military 
abilities, that the President and Mr. Sew\ard supported 
him, and even Secretary Chase stood neutral. But the 
passionate and fiery invective of Secretary Stanton pre- 
vailed over all, and the Lieutenant-General w^as firmly 
informed that General McClellan was an impossibility in 
any military situation. The Secretary of War was not 
so unyielding as to General Buell, but that stubborn sol- 
dier refused all overtures unless the injustice done him by 
the War Department should be formally as well as sub- 
stantially expiated, and in this pursuit of a shadow lost 
ins last chance of crowning a military career full of merit, 
but also full of misfortune." 

Grant's first object was to get the military affairs out of 
the entanglement into which Halleck had plunged them. 
The two men were as opposite in their ideas of how the 
war should be carried on as they were in how a battle 
should be fought. One was for cutting off the tail first, 
and then the claws, and so work by regular, safe 
up.nnM.lw.s up to the head— the other, for a close and 



THE CIVIL WAR. 127 

deadly interlock, in which the life of one or the other 
should go out before it should unloose. One wished to 
carry on the war by operating with different armies on 
separate points — the other, for concentrating them all on 
one vital point. Like Napoleon, Grant had no idea of 
winter quarters, or the proper season for carrying on a 
campaign. When once his blows began to fall, he pro- 
jDOsed they should never cease falling until the object was 
ground to powder. His aim was, as he said, " To hammer 
continuously against the armed force of the enemy until 
by the mere attrition of the lesser with the larger body, 
the former should be worn out." Such was the policy 
with which he assumed command of the entire army. 
He further said, "The armies in the East and West acted 
independently and without concert, like a balky team, 
no two ever pulling together, enabling the enemy to use 
to great advantage his interior lines of communication 
for transporting troops from east to west, reinforcing the 
army most vigorously pressed, and to furlough large 
numbers during seasons of inactivity on our part, to go 
to their homes and do the work of providing for the 
support of their armies, so that it was a question whether 
our numerical strength and resources were not more than 
balanced by these disadvantages and the enemy's superior 
position." His decision was to compel united action. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE STRENGTH OF THE ARMY — GRANT STATES THE STRENGTH 
OF THE CONFEDERATES — POSITION OF THE CONFEDERATE 

AR^y — IN THE WILDERNESS GRANT'S PROPOSED LINE OF 

WARFARE — THE STORY OF A SEVERE STRUGGLE ADVANC- 
ING AND RETREATING MOVING TOWARD RICHMOND SOME 

SHREWD ENGINEERING — ON THE BANKS OF THE CHICKA- 
HOMINY A TERRIBLE BATTLE LEE PROCEEDS TO RICH- 
MOND — GRANT PROPOSES TO LAY SIEGE TO PETERSBURG 

MINING THE ENEMY's WORKS — GRANT RECEIVES A VISITOR 

'• NO SANITARY FOLKS WANTED " THE EXPEDITION TO 

DEEP BOTTOM — THE SYMPATHY OF GRANT HIS LETTER TO 

A LONELY HEART BUTLER ATTACKS FORT HARRISON A 

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT A TRIBUTE FROM SCOTT 

PHILADELPHIA PRESENTS HIM WITH A HOME. 

The plans adopted for the spring campaign of 1864 
were formed upon the assumption that the Federal armies 
were not to consist, at the opening of the campaign, of 
less than a million men. On the 1st of May they nom- 
inally came within 30,000 of that number, but of these only 
000,000 men were reported as " present for duty." Three 
hundred and ten thousand of this force were in Virginia 
and the Carolinas. The Confederate army had something 
like 125,000 men in the same field. Grant's idea of the 
artual condition of the Confederate array was stated in a 
letter to the Hon. E, B. Washburne, as follows : 

"They have in their ranks their last man. The little 



THE CIVIL WAR. 129 

boys and old men are guarding prisoners, guarding rail- 
road bridges, and forming a good part of their garrisons 
for intrenched positions. A man lost by them cannot be 
replaced. Tltey have robbed the cradle and the grave 
equally to get their present force. Besides what they lose 
in frequent skirmishes and battles, they are now losing 
from desertions and other causes at least one regiment 
per day. 

" With this drain upon them, the end is not far dis- 
tant, if we will only be true to ourselves. Their only 
hope now is in a divided North. This might give them 
reinforcements from Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, and 
Missouri, while it would weaken us. With the draft 
quickly enforced, the enemy would become despondent, 
and would make but little resistance. I have no doubt 
but the enemy are exceedingly anxious to hold out until 
after the Presidential election. They have many hopes 
from its effects. 

" They hope a counter revolution; they hope the election 
of the peace candidate. In fact, like ' Micawber,' they 
hope for something to ' turn up.' Our peace friends, if 
they expect peace from separation, are much mistaken. 
It would be but the beginning of war, with thousands of 
Northern men joining the South because of their disgrace 
in allowing separation. To have 'peace on any terms, 
the South would demand the restoration of their slaves 
already freed ; they would demand indemnity for losses 
sustained ; and they would demand a treaty which would 
make the North slave-hunters for the South. They would 
demand pay for or the restoration of every slave escaping 
to the North." 

At this time there were two great Confederate armies 
to be met and crushed — that of Lee, in Virginia, and that 
of Johnston, in Georgia. Sherman was commissioned to 



130 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

undertake the latter task. His instructions from Grant 
were : 

" To move against Johnston's army, break it up, and 
go into the interior of the enemy's country, as far as pos- 
sible, inflicting all the damage that can be done upon their 
war resources." 

To General Meade he said : 

" Lee's army is to be your objective point ; wherever 
that goes, you must go." 

The series of operations thus contemplated were to be 
commenced simultaneously, and, as nearly as possible, on 
the 1st of May. 

During the winter the Confederate army of Northern 
Virginia had lain in winter-quarters, occupying a distance 
of some twenty miles on the south side of the Rapidan. 
Although the position was naturally strong, yet they had 
skilfully fortified it. In their front, every ford was com- 
manded by rifle-pits, and intrenchments crowned every 
hill-top. Lee, supposing that an attack would be made 
upon his left, had massed the greater part of his forces at 
that point. The corps commanded by Ewell and Hill 
had taken position behind the defences of the Rapidan, 
their centre being at Orange Court House. Longstreet 
was at Gordonsville, some thirteen miles farther to the 
southwest. 

Rut Grant had decided to attack, not the leftj as Lee 
had supposed, but the right wing of the army. His plan 
was to force the enemy from his position, thinking that 
could he do so, he might engage him in battle nearer 
Richmond. 

Rflbre daylight, on the morning of May 4th, the Army 
of the Potomac were on the move. They proceeded in 
two columns to the lower fords of the Rapidan. The 
crossing was effected some ten miles from the nearest 



THE CIVIL WAR. 131 

camp of the enemy, so that Lee was unable, had he been 
disposed, to prevent the passage. Lee thought that once 
in the Wilderness he would certainly have Grant at a 
disadvantage. During the preceding winter Lee had 
caused accurate surveys to be made of the whole region, 
and hence was familiar with all of it. Knowing that 
Grant knew little or nothing concerning it, he believed 
that with his 65,000 men he could easily defeat twice 
that number, should they be brought against him. 

On the evening of the 4th of May, Grant and Meade 
had established their head-quarters at a roadside inn, near 
the centre of the Wilderness. Early on the following 
morning Warren was on the move, and was soon engaged 
in battle with the enemy. Sedgwick and Hancock were 
ordered to support him. The fighting was close and 
furious, neither seeming to gain the advantage. At four 
o'clock in the afternoon both armies drew back and in- 
trenched themselves. During the night both commanders 
laid their plans for an early attack on the following day. 
Lee, however, made the first movement, throwing Ewell 
against the Federal right. They were repelled, and Han- 
cock at once proceeded to make an attack upon the Con- 
federate right, by which movement Hill was forced a mile 
and a half from his position. Longstreet coming to the 
rescue, prevented further flight. The latter had been 
ordered to make a flank movement, but while seeking to 
carry out this order, he was severely wounded through a 
mistake made by his own men, and his command fell 
upon R. H. Anderson. The enemy then made an attack 
upon Hancock, who succeeded in driving them back to 
their own lines. The fighting thus far had been done 
wholly with muskets, the nature of the ground rendering 
it impossible to make use of either cavalry or artillery. 
The loss which the Federal forces had sustained was 



132 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

about 15,000 killed and wounded, besides 5,000 prisoners. 
The Confederates lost about 10,000 killed and wounded, 
and a lew prisoners. Still the real advantage was on the 
side of the former. 

Dav after day the battle was renewed, each commander 
lirndy resolved to force the other from his position. On 
the 11th Grant sent the following despatch to the War 
Department : 

" We have now ended the sixth day of hard fighting. 
The result to this day is much in our favor. Our losses 
have been very heavy, as well as those of the enemy. / 
l^ropose to fi'jlit it out on this line if it takes all simi- 
vier." 

Notwithstanding this determination. Grant was com- 
pelled to fight it out on quite a different line, and it took 
not only all sunnner, but until the following spring. 

This assault upon Lee's left had showed that point to 
be impregnable. There appeared, however, to be a weak 
point in his centre, and accordingly a strong assault was 
made upon it. Early in the morning, and under cover 
of a dense fog, Hancock made the attack. Without firing 
a shot the enemy's pickets were driven back, and ere long 
the breastworks were carried. The defences had been 
occupied by Johnson's division of Ewell's corps, num- 
bering 4,000 men, three-quarters of whom were made 
prisoners. Something like half a mile beyond this first 
line of breastworks, a second had been laid out and partly 
lortified. Here Ewell took a firm stand, being at once 
reinforced by Hill and Anderson. The position thus 
occupied was an important one to the Confederate army, 
for if they were driven from it their whole line would be 
severed. 

Against this point the Federals threw themselves. A 
severe battle followed, which continued all day and far 




133 



1.S4 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

into the night. In this struggle the greater part of both 
armies engaged. Both were repeatedly driven from their 
position, but at the end of the struggle they occupied 
much the same ground that they did at the outset. The 
Federal losses were very near 10,000 in killed and 
wounded. The Confederate loss was much less. The 
blow which had thus been struck, while it was indeed a 
iieavy one, was not crushing. During the week which 
followed. Grant endeavored to find some weak point in 
the line of the enemy, but in vain. 

On the morning of the 22d Lee was not a little sur- 
prised to see no trace of the great army which for days 
he had been fighting. He was not long in deciding whither 
it had gone. He knew that they were already sweeping 
on toward Richmond. He therefore at once broke up his 
camps and hastened to throw himself across its line of 
advance. After two days of marching. Grant reached 
the North Anna, but Lee was there before him. Grant 
immediately sent the commands of Hancock and Warren 
across the river, at points four miles apart. Between 
these two divisions Lee thrust his troops, thus preventing 
them from co-operating. Seeing this movement. Grant 
withdrew his troops. 

The last of May beheld the Union forces on the banks 
oi' tiie Chickaliominy, not far from the place where the 
battle of Cold Harbor had been fought two years before. 
Lee was there before him, and had strongly intrenched 
himself Grant now determined to make an attack upon 
tlie Confederates. Preliminary operations were com- 
menced on the last day of May, but the real battle did 
not commence until the 3d of June. The first blow was 
struck by F. C. Barlow's division of Hancock's troops. 
I'or a (piarter of an hour they fought, and then were 
iorced to fall back, leaving half their number behind 



THE CIVIL WAR. 135 

them. Gibbon's division and Smith's division of the 
Army of the James met with no better success. The 
battle continued for nearly an hour, and then the attack 
was abandoned. The loss of the Union forces was more 
than double that of the Confederates. 

The battle led to one important decision — that the 
campaign must take the form of a siege of Richmond. 
Two courses were now open to Grant : he might invest 
the city from the north, or, crossing the Chickahominy 
and the James, might besiege it from the south. He 
adopted the latter plan. It was not really put into effect 
until the 12th of June, at which time Warren's corps 
crossed the Chickahominy by the Long Bridge, thus 
masking the movements of the other corps, which 
marched by longer routes. Smith's division proceeded 
to the Pamunkey, and from thence sailed down the York 
and up the James, uniting with Butler at Bermuda 
Hundreds on the 14th. Lee, supposing ihat it was 
Grant's purpose to advance upon Richmond by the north 
bank of the James, crossed the Chickahominy and fell 
back to the strong intrenchments in front of Richmond. 
Lee's entire force numbered about 70,000 men, while 
Grant's troops numbered 150,000. On the evening of 
the loth the Union forces came in sight of the James, 
A pontoon bridge had been laid partly across the river^ 
by which and with the aid of boats the army crossed 
over. Three days were occupied by the troops in cross- 
ing. When this had been accomplished the army was 
then in a position from which Grant proposed to proceed 
against Richmond, although it took the form of the siege 
of Petersburg, which lay some eighteen miles distant on 
the opposite side of the James river. 

The regular siege of Petersburg began in July, 1864. 

General Grant had caused strong works to be built in the 
9 



136 



LIFE OF GENERAL GEANT. 



front of those of the enemy. On the 25th of June a 
series of mining operations were begun under the Con- 
federate forts for the purpose of blowing them up. Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Pleasants was placed in charge of one of 
these, and it was completed on the 22d of July. When 
everything had been made ready Grant despatched Han- 
cock to assist Foster in flanking the enemy at Deep 
Bottom, and, pushing on to Chapin's Bluff, to threaten 
Lee's line of communication across the river. This was 
done. Lee, beholding that the danger which threatened 
Richmond had greatly increased, withdrew five of his 

eight remaining divisions to the 
south side of the James. This 
act presented Grant with a grand 
opportunity for making an as- 
sault. The first mine was ex- 
ploded early on the morning of 
July 30th, with terrible effect. 
Where the fort had formed}^ 
stood there was a crater of loose 
earth, 200 feet in length, full 50 
feet in width, and from 20 to 30 
feet in depth. The fort, together 
with its guns and other munitions of war and a garrison 
of 300, were thrown into the air and destroyed. This 
was followed by a heavy cannonading on the part of the 
UiHon forces all along the line. Owing to some misun- 
derstanding on the part of those to whom this work had 
been intrusted, the result looked for was not accom- 
])hshed. The loss to the Union forces was indeed great. 
One day, while Grant was encamped before Petersburg, 
llio hostler observed a gaunt, spare-looking man, dressed 
HH a civilian, approaching the rear of Grant's quarters. 
This functionary, tliinking it to be some intermeddler, 
called I,) Inm in a rather unceremonious way: 




THE CIVIL WAR. 137 

*'Hey, there!" 

" Well ? " was the rejoinder. 

" Keep out of there ! " 

" Isn't this General Grant's tent?" 

" Yes." 

'^ Then I guess he'll see me." And he coolly walked 
on while the hostler remarked under his breath some- 
thing about " them Sanitary chaps being a confounded 
nuisance." 

Although General Grant had ever treated the repre- 
sentatives of the Sanitary and Christian Commissions in 
&. proper manner, yet there were those who did not regard 
them with favor. Approaching the guard before the 
I tent, the visitor was greeted with : 
! "No Sanitary folks allowed to go in there." 
" I o;uess General Grant will see me." 
" No, he won't." 
" I mean to try." 

" Well, I tell you he won't," growled the guard. " But 
^ if you want me to take in your name, I'll do it, I suppose." 
" Very well ; you may do so." 
"What's the name, then?" 
" Abraham Lincoln !" 

Had the whole Confederate army appeared that guard 
■could not have been more astonished than at the an- 
nouncement of that name. As he stepped aside and 
gave the military salute to the President as he passed, he 
said : 

" Yes, I reckon he'll see you.'' 

A fortnight subsequent to the firing of the first mine 
Grant sent an expedition, composed of the divisions of 
Birney and Hancock, with cavalry under Gregg, to the 
north side of the James, to a point known as Deep Bot- 
tom. Here sharp engagements followed on the 13th, 



138 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

16th and 18th of August. By this movement the Union 
forces lost 5,000 men, without gaining any special advan- 
tage excepting the incidental one of giving assistance to 
troops sent to seize the Weldon Railway, south of Peters- 
burg. This was accomplished by General Warren on the 
18th. Three days later he succeeded in repulsing a force 
of the enemy which attempted to recapture that portion 
of the road which they had lost. On the same day 
(August 21st), General Hancock, having returned from 
the north side of the James, struck the Weldon road 
near Ream's station, and destroyed the track for some 
distance. A short time after this the Union forces were 
driven from the road, suffering considerable loss. For 
more than a month following this both armies remained 
comparatively quiet. The Union forces were then moved 
simultaneously toward Petersburg and Richmond. 

Some time previous to this. General McPherson, who 
had been attached to General Sherman's army, was 
killed near Atlanta, Georgia. The following correspond- 
ence, which grew out of his death, will serve to give the 
reader an idea of the sympathetic feeling which shone 
ever in the life of General Grant : 



" Clyde, Ohio, Aiujust M, 1864. 
" To General Gh-ant : 

" Dear Sir : I hope you will pardon me for troubling you with 
the perusal of these few lines from the trembling hand of the 
aged grandma of our beloved General James B. McPherson, who 
fell in battle. When it was announced at his funeral, from the 
public print, that when General Grant heard of his death, he went 
into his tent and wept like a child, my heart went out in thanks 
to you for the interest you manifested in him while he was with 
you. I have watched his progress from infancy up. In child- 
hood he was obedient and kind; in manhood, interesting, noble 
and persevering, looking to the wants of others. Since he entered 
the war others can appreciate his worth more than I can. When 



THE CIVIL WAR. 1S9 

it was announced to lis by telegraph that our loved one had fallen, 
our hearts were almost rent asunder; but when we heard the 
Commander-in-Chief could weep with us, too, we felt, sir, that you 
have been a father to him, and this whole nation is mourning his 
early death. I wish to inform you that his remains were con- 
ducted by a kind guard to the very parlor where he spent a cheer- 
ful evening in 1861 with his widowed mother, two brothers, an 
only sister and his aged grandmother, who is now tr3nng to write. 
In the morning he took leave at six o'clock, little dreaming he 
should fall by a ball from the enem}^ His funeral services were 
attended in his mother's orchard, where his youthful feet had 
often pressed the soil to gather the falling fruit; and his remains 
are resting in the silent grave scarce half a mile from the place of 
his birth. His grave is on an eminence but a few rods from where 
the funeral services were attended and near the grave of his father. 

" The grave, no doubt, will be marked, so that passers-by will 
often stop and drop a tear over the dear departed. And now, dear 
friend, a few lines from you would be gratefully received by the 
afflicted friends. I pray that the God of battles may be with 
you and go forth with your arms till rebellion shall cease, the 
Union be restored and the old flag wave over our entire land. 

"With much respect, I remain your friend, 

" Lydia S locum, 
"Aged eighty-seven years and four months." 

To this communication General Grant replied as fol- 
lows : 

f " Head-quarters Armies of the U. S., 
1 " City Point, Va., Aicgust lOth, 1864. 
"Mrs. Lydia Slocum : 

" My Dear Madam : Your very welcome letter of the 3d instant 
has reached me. I am glad to know that the relatives of the 
lamented Major-General McPherson are aware of the more than 
friendship existing between him and myself. A nation grieves at 
the loss of one so dear to our nation's cause. It is a selfish grief, 
because the nation had more to expect from him than from almost 
any one living. I join in this selfish grief, and add the grief of 
personal love for the departed. He formed, for some time, one of 
my military family. I knew him well ; to know him was to love. 
It may be some consolation to you, his aged grandmother, to know 



140 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

that every ofl&cer and every soldier who served under your grand- 
son felt the highest reverence for his patriotism, his zeal, his 
great, almost unequalled ability, his amiability and all the manly 
virtues that can adorn a commander. Your bereavement is great, 
but cannot exceed mine. 

" Yours truly, " U. S. Grant." 






On the 29th of September, General Butler, at the head 
of the corps commanded by Birney and Ord, moved upon 
and captured Fort Harrison. The troops also charged 
upon another fort near by, but were repulsed with heavy 
loss. In this attack General Burnham was killed and 
Ord was severely wounded. In honor of General Burn- 
ham, the captured works were named Fort Burnham. In 
these assaults the bravery of the colored troops was con- 
spicuous. In the meantime Meade had sent Generals 
Warren and Parker, with two divisions of troops each, to 
attempt the extension of the Union left to the Weldon 
road and beyond. It was a feint intended to aid Butler's 
movement on the north side of the James, but resulted 
in severe fighting on the 1st and 2d of October, with 
varying fortunes for both armies. This effort was fol- 
lowed by another pause, although not what might be 
termed a settled rest, for the period of nearly two months. 
In the meantime Sheridan had performed that wonderful 
feat known as '• the ride to Winchester," and Sherman 
was engaged in his " march to the sea." Both these ef- 
forts served to weaken the strength of the enemy in their 
respective fields and the army as a whole. On the 27th 
of October the Union forces assailed Lee's works on 
Hatcher's Run, which lay to the west of the Weldon road. 
The battle was a severe one, and the Union army was re- 
pulsed, and two days later withdrew to their intrench- 
nicnts before Petersburg. Very little was done by the 
Army of the Potomac until the opening of the spring 



THE CIVIL WAR. 141 

campaign in 1865. While these events were transpiring 
General Grant received the following communication from 
the President : 

" Lieutenant-General Grant : Not expecting to see you be- 
fore the spring campaign opens, I wish to express, in this way, my 
entire satisfaction with what you have done up to this time, so 
far as I understand it. The particulars of your plans I neither 
know nor seek to know. You are vigilant and self-reliant, and, 
pleased with this, I Avish not to obtrude any restraints or con- 
straints upon you. While I am very anxious that any great dis- 
aster or capture of our men in great numbers shall be avoided, I 
know that these points arc less likely to escape your attention 
than they would be mine. If there be anything which is within 
my power to give, do not fail to let me know it. And now, with 
a brave army and a just cause, may God sustain you. 

"Yours very truly, "A. Lincoln." 

The following was Grant's reply : 

" The President : Your very kind letter of yesterday is just re- 
ceived. The confidence you express for the future, and satisfaction 
for the past, in my military administration is acknowledged with 
pride. It shall be my earnest endeavor that you and the country 
shall notbe disappointed. From my first entrance into the volunteer 
service of the country to the present day I have never had cause of 
complaint, have never expressed or implied a complaint against 
the Administration or the Secretary of War for throwing any em- 
barrassment in the way of my vigorously prosecuting what ap- 
l^eared to be my duty. Indeed, since the promotion which placed 
me in command of all the armies, and in view of the great re- 
sponsibility and importance of success, I have been astonished at 
the readiness with which everything asked for has been yielded, 
without even an explanation being asked. 

"Should my success be less than I desire and expect, the least 
I can say is, the fault is not with you. 

" Very truly, your obedient servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- GeneraV 

During the winter of 1864-65 Grant paid a visit to 



142 



LIFE OF GENERAL GEAXT. 



Washington during the session of Congress and received 
a most flattering reception from both the House and the 
Senate. A visit was also paid to New York, where he 
was received with great enthusiasm. Calling on General 
Scott, the old hero presented Grant with a copy of his 
autobiography, on the fly-leaf of which was written: 

''From the oldest to the ahlest (jeneral in the world, 
" WiNFiELD Scott." 




Philadelphia was also visited. Although the visit was 

a brief one, still it was 
one of marked interest. 
Throughout the time in 
which he was connected 
with the army, and particu- 
larly during the time in 
whicli he held the position 
of L i e u t o n a n t-Ge n e r a 1, 
General Grant was deeply 
interested in every move- 
ment which was designed 
GKXKUAL WINFIELD SCOTT. to aid and relieve the sol- 
diers. One of the most powerful organizations for this pur- 
pose was the Cliristian Commission. It performed a grand 
work, and General Grant gave its officers and representa- 
tives from time to time such assistance as lay in his power. 
Sucli service was greatly appreciated by those who were 
the leaders of the movement, and it became an almost 
universal desire upon the part of Christian workers con- 
nected with the work to show their appreciation of such 
service in some substantial way. To George H. Stuart, of 
Philadelphia, is to be given the honor of conceiving the 
idea of purchasing a home for the General and his family. 



THE CIVIL WAK. 143 

"It is really too bead," said Mr. Stuart upon one occa- 
sion, "that one who has served his country so faithfully 
should not possess some substantial gift from the people." 

The proposition advanced met with ready supporters, 
and a committee was soon appointed for tlie purpose of 
collecting funds for this purpose. The committee was 
composed of the following gentlemen, residents of Phila- 
delphia : A. E. Borie, of McKean, Borie & Co. ; William 
C. Kent, of James, Kent, Santee & Co. ; Davis Pierson ; 
Edward C. Knight, of E. C. Knight & Co. ; George Whit- 
ney, of Asa Whitney & Sons; and James Graham, of 
James Graham & Co. 

It was a much easier task to raise the money than to 
find a suitable building. At length that at 2009 Chest- 
nut street was selected. It was a four-storied, thirteen- 
roomed building, substantially built of brick, with brown- 
stone dressings, with balcony beneath the windows of the 
first floor. The building cost $32,000. The entire cost, 
including furniture, etc., was $53,000. The purchase 
having been made, a letter informing General Grant was 
at once sent him. To this the General returned the fol- 
lowing reply : 

f Head-quarters Armies of the U. S. 
1 City Point, Va., Jan. Ath, 1865. 
Messrs. Geo. H. Stuart, A. E. Borie, William 0. Kent, E. 0. Knight, 
Davis Pierson, George }Vhitney and James Graham, Committee : 
Gentlemen : Through you the loyal citizens of Philadelphia 
have seen fit to present me with a house, lot and furniture in your 
beautiful city. The letter notifying me of this is just received. 

It is with feelings of gratitude and pride that I accept this sub- 
stantial testimonial of the esteem of your loyal citizens. Grati- 
tude, because it is evidence of a deep-set determination on the 
part of a large number of citizens that this war shall go on until 
the Union is restored. Pride, that my humble efforts in so great 
•a cause should attract such a token from a city of strangers to me. 
I will not predict the day when we will be at peace again, with 



144 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the Union restored. But that that day will come is as sure as the 
rising of to-morrow's sun, I have never doubted this in the 
darkest days of this dark and terrible rebellion. 

Until this happy day of peace does come my family will occupy 
and enjoy your magnificent present. But until that I do not ex- 
pect nor desire to see much of the enjoyments of a home fireside. 
I have the honor to be, with great respect, 

Your obedient servant, U. S. Grant, 

Lieutenant- General U. S. A. 

As soon as opportunity offered, therefore, Grant, ac- 
companied by his family, proceeded to Philadelphia to 
take possession of their new home. They were met by 
Messrs. Stuart and Borie, and at once driven to 2009 
Chestnut street. Here everything had been provided to 
give them a hearty welcome. An elaborately carved box 
containing the deed of the place was presented by Mr. 
Stuart with these words : 

" General Grant, as you are a man of deeds and not of 
words, I have great pleasure as chairman of a committee 
on behalf of the loyal citizens of Philadelphia to present 
you with this deed, which conveys to you the right, title 
to this property and all it contains. I hope that you 
may live long to enjoy it and that the blessings of God 
may rest upon you and your family through life." 

When the General rose to reply he was too much af- 
fected to give utterance to his feelings. Said Mr. Stuart : 
" I never saw him cry but that once. His eyes were suf- 
fused with tears. All that I can remember of what he 
said after he had sufficiently mastered his emotion is : 
' Gentlemen, I am unable to give expression to my feelings 
for this most unexpected and undeserved gift of your 
citizens.' " 

Alter this luncheon was served in the dining-hall. For 
three weeks General Grant made his home here until 
called elsewhere by important duties. 



CHAPTER IX. 

PREPARING FOR A FINAL MOVEMENT LEE ATTACKS GRANT 

JEFF DAVIS RECEIVES A DISPATCH " RICHMOND MUST 

BE EVACUATED TO-NIGHT " AN EXCITING SCENE RICH- 
MOND OCCUPIED BY UNION TROOPS — LINCOLN VISITS RICH- 
MOND "glory! glory!" grant pursues LEE SHER- 
IDAN INTERCEPTS LEE THE LATTER FLEES GRANT 

PURSUES — HIS LETTER TO LEE LEE's REPLY DARING 

CUSTER APPOMATTOX — LEE's SURRENDER WHAT GEN- 
ERAL MAHONE said of the SURRENDER LEE's LAST 

ORDER A UNION SOLDIER's DESCRIPTION OF THE CLOSING 

SCENE OF THE WAR. 

On the 24th of March General Grant prepared for 
a grand final movement, and a general attack was ar- 
ranged for the 29th. On the 25th, General Lee made 
an attack upon Fort Steadman, hoping to capture it, 
and afterward to cut Grant's line of supplies, or if he 
failed in the latter attempt, to escape from Petersburg 
and unite his army with that of Johnston. It was cer- 
tainly a bold move to make, and one which Lee never 
would have entertained had he not been driven to do so 
by sheer desperation. At daylight the attack was made. 
The Union forces were taken by surprise, and hence were 
unprepared to resist the onset. Several batteries were 
captured, and for a time the enemy were victorious. But 
the " Boys in Blue" soon rallied and were on the enemy's 
flank, and not only recaptured their guns, but succeeded 
in taking some nineteen hundred prisoners. This was 

(145) 



146 LIFE OF GENERAL GEAXT. 

promptly followed up by an assault upon the works of the 
enemy, which were carried, and successfully held, not- 
withstanding the effort made to recover the lost ground. 

After having partaken of his breakfast at City Point, 
on the 29th of March, Grant, accompanied by his staff, 
set out for the front, which was some eighteen miles dis- 
tant. The party reached Dinwiddle Court House at about 
five in the afternoon. The expected supplies not having 
arrived on account of the wagons having become stuck in 
the mud, the soldiers v/ent supperless to sleep upon the 
ground, wiiile the General and his staff found repose on 
the floor of the tavern, which, for the time being, was used 
for his head-quarters. Throughout the following day the 
rain fell in torrents, rendering an advance impossible. 
Sheridan, however, a little distance away, led his lines to 
Five Forks, which point he held the next day. Warren 
advanced to co-operate with him, but was driven back by 
a heavy infantry force against which it was impossible to 
stand. A severe cavalry attack was made at the same 
time upon Sheridan, and he too was forced to fall back. 
On the following morning Sheridan advanced from Din- 
widdie and made an attack upon the Confederate line of 
infantry. There was a large force in front of him, and at 
one time it seemed as if he must be defeated. But at that 
moment Sheridan spurred to the front, and inspiring a 
fresh courage, led the wavering troops again forward. 
For a time the enemy fought like madmen, and then the 
nerve which hitherto had sustained them disappeared. In 
the midst of their exertions they suddenly realized that 
they were surrounded. More than five thousand of them 
threw down their arms, and thus a signal victory was 
gained for the Union forces. 

Oil tlie following Sunday, as Jefferson Davis sat in 
chiu-cli, the I'ollowiug dispatch was handed him : 



i 



~^~7^ ^^T'^w- 









tji—- 




(147 



14S LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

" The enemy has broken my line in three places. Rich- 
mond must he evacuated to-night^ 

As he read the words his cheek blanched. Nothing 
could have surprised him more than this. He at once 
left the church, and began to take measures for his per- 
gonal safety. At eight o'clock that night he was seen 
boarding the cars, taking his horse and carriage in case 
an emergency should arise, and was soon whirling away 
from Richmond, 

Although none of the people knew the purport of the 
intelligence which Davis had received at the time of his 
leaving the church, it was not long before it began to be 
whispered abroad. Every moment tlie excitement in- 
creased until the streets of the city were literally packed 
with a frightened populace, and the Sabbath, which opened 
so quietly, closed in the wildest excitement and terror. 
Says one, speaking of the scene : 

" Army wagons, loaded with boxes and trunks, drove 
furiously toward the Danville depot ; pale women and 
ragged children streamed after, going they knew not 
whither; excited men filled the air with blasphemies, 
while the more desperate surged up around the commissary 
depots, awaiting the signal for pillage. There was no 
order — no attempt on the part of any one to enforce it." 

The Virginia legislature took passage on a canal-boat 
for Lynchburg. Workmen took the advantage of the 
excitement and demanded fabulous prices for services ren- 
dered. As high as one hundred dollars in gold an hour 
were demanded. All through the night the work of 
destruction was carried on in Richmond. Government 
]ir()i)erty was destroyed, shipping burned, iron-clads and 
fortifications blown up, and finally the torch was applied 
to the city itself 

The fire was raging furiously, when, at eight o'clock on 



THE CIVIL WAR. 149 

the following day, General Weitzel entered the city with 
some forty Union cavalrymen. No opposition being 
made, he at once proceeded to take possession of the city. 
The Palmetto flag of the Confederacy, which had floated 
from the dome of the capitol, was hauled down, and in its 
place there floated the grand old flag of the Republic. 
The infantry was not far behind, and marching to the 
State House, stacked their arms, ran out the fire-engines, 
and endeavored to extinguish the flames. General Weit- 
zel at once telegraphed Secretary Stanton as follows : 

" We took Richmond at 8.15 this morning. I captured 
many guns. Tiie enemy left in great haste. The city is 
on fire in one place ; am making every efibrt to put it 
out. General Grant started early this morning with the 
army towards the Danville road, to cut off Lee's retreating 
army if possible. President Lincoln has gone to the front." 

When President Lincoln heard of the fall of Richmond 
he was at City Point, and at once started for that city, 
wdiere he arrived on the morning following its occupa- 
tion. He entered the city with his son, Commodore Por- 
ter, and a few sailors who rowed him to the wharf. They 
all started on foot, the President as well as the others. 
There were but few who knew him, but soon his presence 
became widely known, and as he passed along the streets 
the negroes, old and young, gathered around him, some 
shouting and laughing, and giving expression to their 
delight in many ways. Exclamations like the following 
came from that joyous people : " Glory to God ! glory to 
God ! glory, glory ! " "I thank you, dear Jesus, dat I be- 
hold President Linkum." " Bress de Lor'! Bress de 
Lor' ! " " May de good Lor' bress you, President Linkum! " 
Mr. Lincoln raised his hat in silence, and, as if much 
affected, passed on. He returned to Washington that 
afternoon, but in a few days went back to Richmond, ac- 



mo 



LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 



I 



companied by his wife, several Senators and other friends. 
The Confederate forces were now fleeing. Grant took 
one brief stroll through Petersburg, and then pushed on 
after the retreating Lee. It was Lee's purpose to reach 




Dauvil 
To pre 
fantrv 



le, and ihnn thence join Johnston, near Raleigh 
vent this. Grant dispatched Sheridan with both in- 
and cavah-y. Leaving the former to follow, Slier 



THE CIVIL WAK. 161 

idan dashed on with his brave horsemen. At five o'clock 
on Tuesday, April 4th, Sheridan had reached Jetersville, 
and Lee was at Amelia Court House. When Sheridan 
learned this fact he knew that the plan he had been fol- 
lowing had succeeded — that Lee had been intercepted. 

When he discovered this fact, he at once set his troops 
to work throwing up intrenchments, and also despatched 
a messenger to the head-quarters for assistance. This was 
given him promptly, and at two o'clock the men who had 
gone to bed tired and supperless were roused and ordered 
to march at once. Sheridan was awake with the day, 
expecting to be thus early attacked. But no attack was 
made, and Sheridan began to fear lest Lee was seeking to 
escape in a northerly direction. He therefore sent out a 
detachment for reconnoissance, under Davis, to prevent 
such a movement should it be made. In carrying out 
this order Davis fell upon a Confederate train, destroyed 
nearly two hundred wagons and took a thousand prisoners, 
although such a result was only secured by hard fighting. 
Sheridan at once informed Grant of the result. When the 
soldiers heard the order read cheer after cheer arose from 
the regiments. The brave fellows seized their muskets 
and prepared to march at once. At eleven o'clock that 
night Grant entered Sheridan's head-quarters. Although 
Sheridan had retired, he at once arose, and, while supper 
was being prepared, explained to Grant the exact position 
of the enemy. 

Early on the following morning the troops were on the 
move. It was found that Lee was pushing northward, 
seeking to escape the threatened attack. To prevent this 
General Ord had advanced to Farmville, from which place 
he had sent out a cavalry force to burn the bridges. 
Encountering the head of Lee's army, they received a 
severe blow. Reinforcements coming up, the enemy were 

10 



152 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

repulsed. Sheridan pressed hard after Lee, and came 
upon him near Sailor's creek, and, by making a sudden 
charge, succeeded in capturing sixteen guns and some 
four hundred wagons. Later, when a more general attack 
was made, he succeeded in taking six or seven thousand 
prisoners, including a large number of general officers. 

Early the next day Sheridan pushed on after the still 
fleeing army. The Confederate troops were now all on 
the north side of the Appomattox. In despair of ever 
getting through the enhxrgement of Union forces, which 
appeared on every hand, they at once went into camp, 
and proceeded to intrench themselves about five miles 
north of Farniville. On the same day Grant sent Lee 
the following letter by General Seth Williams, under flag 

of truce : 

April 1th, 1865. 
General R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Armies: 

General : The result of the last week must convince you of the 
hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of 
Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard 
it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further 
effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion 
of the Confederate States Army known as the Army of Northern 
Virginia. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

U. S. Grant, 
Lieutenant-Gaieral, Commanding Armies of the United States. 

Just before daylight on the following day General Wil- 
liams returned with the followinc; reply : 

April 7th, 1865. 
Td biEUTENANT-GENEKAL U. S. Grant, Commanding Armies of the 
United States : 
Genej{al: I have received your note of this date. Though not 
entirely of the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further 
resistance on the part of the Amry of Northern Virginia, I recipro- 
cate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, 
before considering your proposition, ask the terms you offer, on 
coiidiiioii of ii.s surrender. R. E. Lee, General. 



THE CIVIL WAR. 158 

To this General Grant at once replied as follows: 

April 8th, 1865. 
To General R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army: 

General : Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same 
date, asking the conditions on which I will accept the surrender 
of the Army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply, I 
would say, that peace being my first desire, there is but one con- 
dition that I insist upon, viz. : 

That the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up 
arms against the Government of the United States until properly 
exchanged. 

I will meet you, or designate officers to meet any officers you 
may name, for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon 
which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be 
received. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

U. S. Grant, 
Lieutenant- General, Commanding A^^mies of the United States. 

In the meantime Grant did not consider anything as 
settled, and was still pushing hard after the fleeing foe. 
Sheridan, who was stationed at Prospect Station, learned 
that several trains of supplies had reached Appomattox 
Station, which was some twenty-five miles away, and were 
there awaiting the arrival of Lee. Custer was at once 
despatched to capture the trains, and he soon had the 
entire group surrounded and captured. The trains were 
then sent duly guarded to Farmville. This done, an 
attack was made upon a battery which had been estab- 
lished in the woods near by, and this, being unable to 
resist the furious onset made by Custer's brave troops, 
soon passed into the hands of the victorious forces. By 
this movement twenty-five guns and over a thousand 
prisoners were captured. Those who succeeded in making 
their escape rushed in the direction of Appomattox Court 
House. On the evening of the 8th General Grant re- 
ceived the following communication from General Lee : 



1,54 LIFE OP GENERAL GRANT. 

Ajiril Sth, 1865. 

To Lieutenant-General Grant, Commanding Armies of the United 
States. 
General: I received, at a late hour, your note of to-day. In 
mine of yesterday I did not intend to propose the surrender of the 
Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposi- 
tion. To be frank, I do not think the emergenc}^ has risen to 
call for the surrender of this army ; but as the restoration of peace 
should be the sole object of all, I desired to know whether your 
proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, therefore, meet you 
with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia ; but as 
far as your proposal may affect the Confederate States forces under 
my connnand, and tend to the restoration of peace, I should be 
pleased to meet you at 10 a. m. to-morrow on the old stage road 
to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two armies. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

R. E. Lee, 
General, Commanding Confederate States Armies. 

To this Grant at once made answer : 

April 9th, 1865. 
General R. E. Lee, Commanding, etc. : 

General : Your note of yesterday is received. As I have nO' 
authority to treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed 
for 10 A. M. to-day could lead to no good. I will state, however, 
General, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself, and 
the whole North entertains the same feeling. The terms upon 
Avhich peace can be had are well understood. By the South lay- 
ing down their arms they will hasten that most desirable event^ 
save thousands of human lives and hundreds of milHons of 
proi)erty not yet destroyed. Sincerely hoping that all our difh- 
culties may be settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe 
myself, etc., U. S. Grant, 

Lieutenant- General, U. S. A. 

The end of a long and bloody conflict was now rapidly 
approaching. General Mahone, who was a prominent actor 
m the closing scenes of the Rebellion, gives the following 
account of the last struggles of a dying Confederacy : 

" Our next move was to cross the Appomattox. I took 




THE SUKllEXDEll OF GENERAL LEE- 



155 



156 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

my command to High Bridge, three miles from Farmville^ 
where there were two bridges, one the high railroad bridge 
and another an improvised wagon bridge. I met Gen- 
erals Gordon and Anderson near High Bridge, after mov- 
ing my men over, and had a talk with them. They 
believed that the defeat at Sailor's creek had settled the 
fate of the Confederacy. I agreed with them that our 
army was ruined. I told them that I thought the officer 
next in command to General Lee should see him quickly, 
and inform him that it was the judgment of his officers 
that we were beaten. It was agreed that General Ander- 
son should go immediately to General Longstreet and 
have him tell Lee our views. About two o'clock on the 
morning of the 7th I left the conference and went over 
the river to look after my division. All that was known 
of Lee's movements was that he would cross over to 
Farmville and unite with us not far from that place, and 
we would continue the retreat toward Lynchburg. I 
made a reconnoissance of the roads in the dark and re- 
turned to High Bridge about daylight. The enemy's 
skirmish lines w^ere advancing toward the bridge, which, 
contrary to orders, had been burned. 

•■A brigade was sent out to check the advance of the 
Federal skirmishers. I had found a road leading to 
Cumberland Church, ^vhich joined the main road over 
which Lee was expected to approach. I formed my divis- 
ion in line of battle and received an order from General 
Lee to hold the enemy back. General Miles commanded 
the advance of the Union forces, and he attacked me and 
we repulsed him ; but this temporary victory closed our 
short line of battle, and he manoeuvred with his superior 
force to turn our flank. I ran out a battery of artillery 
on the flank I saw he was endeavoring to turn, and in a 
sliort time he had captured our guns. Just then, fortu- 



THE CIVIL WAR. 157 

nately, the advance of Lee's forces came up, and a North 
Carolina division, containing about a full regiment of 
men, charged the Federals and recaptured the guns. 

" Lee and Longstreet soon came up in force. During 
the afternoon General Miles marched a brigade around 
our flank and got in my rear. While he was executing 
that movement I marched two brigades in the rear of 
Miles' men and attacked them savagely. We nearly an- 
nihilated the brigade, killing over 700 men in the action. 
In the meantime Anderson had communicated with Long- 
street, and, while I knew nothing of what had taken 
place, it was evident from the action of Longstreet and 
Lee that the former had broached the subject of sur- 
render, and that the latter would not entertain the prop- 
osition. 

" That night, while I was preparing to cover the retreat 
of our army, about ten o'clock, I saw a ball of fire sus- 
pended over the head-quarters of the Union forces, which 
meant a flag of truce. I obtained j)ermission to receive 
the flag, and sent a detachment with my provost marshal 
to meet the truce party. When the provost returned I 
was resting myself in a negro cabin in the church. 

" * I have a letter for General Lee,' he said. 

" ' Yes, and I know what that means,' was my answer. 

" ' It is a demand for the surrender of the Confederate 
army.' 

" I subsequently learned from General Grant himself 
that this letter, demanding the surrender, was written on 
the hotel porch in Farmville. 

" We marched all night and the next day until about 
four o'clock in the afternoon, when we went into camp 
three miles south of ApjDomattox Court House. Long- 
street and Gordon were in front, and my division and 
General Fields' division were drawn in line of battle to 



158 LIFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 

cover the rear. At daylight we moved to Appomattox 
and then halted. I received a message from Lee to come 
to the front. I found him just this side of the court 
house, with Longstreet and his staff, warming themselves 
by a fire. Lee asked his staff to retire, and then he said 
that he had sent for me because he was in trouble. 

" ' Well, what is the matter now ? ' I asked. 

" ' I suppose you know that Grant has demanded our 
surrender,' he replied. 

" ' No, I do not know it, but I suspected it,' was my 
answer. 

" ' Well, he has demanded our surrender, and I want 
to know what you think about it. We have only 8,000 
muskets and two organized bodies — yours and Fields'.' 

" ' I take your purpose, General Lee, to be to effect a 
junction with Johnston in West North Carolina?' 

" ' Yes, sir,' said the general. 

"'Li my judgment,' said I, 'this junction can be 
formed only in one of two ways — first to cut through the 
enemy's lines and fight our way out, and that can only 
be done at a great cost of life. If successful we will only 
have a mere remnant of the army left, and that remnant 
cannot be recruited and equipped by a government in a 
wagon. I cannot see how you could supply an army with 
munitions and rations. We have another chance to get 
to Lynchburg, but we will certainly be harassed every 
step of the way, and when we get there we will be still 
farther away from Johnston.' I told him that the time 
had come when I thought he was called upon to perform 
the highest duty that could devolve upon an individual, to 
iiii-lergo a test of the highest degree of manhood; that the 
tmu' had come when, in my judgment, it was his duty to 
siiiTciider the army; that I believed it would be a crime 
under the circumstances to sacrifice the life of another man. 



THE CIVIL WAR. 159 

I told him that if the terms offered by General Grant 
were such as we were entitled to receive I should surren- 
der immediately. If not I would fight it out here. He 
then handed me General Grant's letter containing the 
proposed terms of surrender. 1 read it and told him 
that I thought the terms were as honorable as could be 
asked by a defeated army. Lee turned questioningly to 
Longstreet, who simply said : ' I agree with Mahone.' 

"^ What will the country say?' asked Lee. 

" ' You are the country now,' I answered. ' Our people 
will approve.' He said he did not know where to find 
Grant. I told him to get on his horse and hunt him up. 
He left Longstreet in command of the army and rode away 
in search of the Federal commander, accompanied only 
by a courier. I went back to my division, which Fields 
had put in line of battle, and told him what had occurred 
at the front. 

" To avoid another engagement we sent out a flag of 
truce. When the men formed in line they began digging 
trenches and otherwise arranging for what they supposed 
to be an impending battle. They were ordered to stop 
work. It was the first order of the kind they had 
ever received under such circumstances. The soldiers 
seemed to understand what it meant without knowing 
anything of the events of the past twenty-four hours. 
As by instinct they realized that the war had come to an 
end. Some of the men began to cry, others threw their 
arms in joy around the necks of their comrades. Many 
of them broke their sword blades and threw away their 
bayonets. I hastened out of sight of this affecting scene 
■and rejoined General Lee at a little stream near Appo- 
mattox Court House. Colonels Taylor and Stevens and 
several other officers were with him. I had scarcely 
reached the general's side when I saw a Union officer 



160 LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 

riding down the road from the court house, accompanied 
by a courier. He approached within a hundred feet of 
General Lee, at the same time saluting him, removing his 
hat, and took a note from his pocket, which General Tay- 
lor received and carried to General Lee. He read the 
note and answered it, and the Union officer rode back to 
the Federal head-quarters. General Lee stood in the dirt 
road. He took the note, tore it up in little pieces and 
threw them upon the ground and with his heel stamped 
them under the dirt and out of sight. I mounted my 
horse and rode away, and General Lee went to meet 
General Grant. That is all I saw of the surrender." 
The answer to the communication which Lee received 

was as follows : 

I Head-quarters Army of Northern Va. 

1 April 9th, 1865. 

Lieut- General U.S. Grant, Commanding U. S. Armies: 

General : I have received your letter of this date, containing 
the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, as pro- 
posed by you ; as they are substantially the same as those ex- 
pressed m your letter of the 8th instant, they are accepted. I 
will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipula- 
tions into effect. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

R. E. L., General. 

At two o'clock on Sunday, April 9th, the two com* 
manders met in a house owned by one McLean, and there 
discussed the terms upon which the proposed surrender 
was to be made. At half-past three the articles of cap- 
itulation were signed and Lee's army received as prisoners 
of war. Lee's last order to his faithful soldiers was as 
follows : 

I Head-quarters Army Northern Virginia. 
( April 10th, 1865. 

General Order No. 9 

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed 



THE CIVIL WAR. 161 

courage and fortitude, tlio Army of Northern Virginia has been 
compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. I 
need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard-fought battles, 
who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to 
the result from no distrust of them. But, feeling that valor and 
devotion could accomplish nothing that would compensate for the 
loss that must have attended the continuance of the contest, I de- 
termined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services 
have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the 
agreement, officers and men can return to their home and remain 
until they are exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction 
that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, 
and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you this 
mercy and protection. 

With an increasing admiration of your constancy and devotion 
to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and 
generous considerations for myself, I bid you all an affectionate 
farewell. R. E. Lee, General. 

One of the " Boys in Blue " thus describes the closing 
scenes of the war as he saw it : 

" General Custer is now the most conspicuous man on 
the field. He rides out from the charging column, ob- 
served by all. He meets a Confederate. A white flag is 
triumphantly waved in his right hand as he dashes back 
to his command; the halt is sounded and a wild shout of 
joy went out from the throats of thousands of brave men 
that filled the air for many minutes. Huzzah after huz- 
zah, cheer after cheer rolled back to and was quickly 
caught up by the thirty thousand infantry — Fifth, Twenty- 
fourth and one division of the Twenty-fifth Army Corps, 
who justly shared the honors of the hour, as they doubt- 
less did the delight of all, which was simply boundless 
and indescribable. It was the surrender of Lee and the 
end of the war. 

" The culmination of hopes long deferred through years 
of defeats and drawn battles burst upon grim-visaged vet- 



162 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

erans, whose hearts throbbed with a joy that honorable 
pride, the absence of further peril, a speedy return to 
homes, waiting loved ones, and the triumphant unity of 
our country alone could give. The crisis of the stupen- 
dous reality reached and passed, the reaction was sudden 
and profoundly emotional. The scenes and incidents re- 
sulting from the suspension of hostilities between lines of 
hostile troops, while waiting several hours for the arrange- 
ment of terms and details between Grant and Lee, were 
of the most memorable character. None seemed more 
deeply affected than the trained officers and old veterans 
of the regular army. We recall with distinctness the emo- 
tions and tearful jo\' of General Alfred Gibbs, then in 
command of the Reguhir Brigade First, Second, Fifth and 
Sixth United States Cavalry. The noble man was wholly 
broken up, choked with every word and finally wept like 
a child. The conduct of this officer was by no means ex- 
ceptional ; the eyes of tiie best and bravest moistened, and 
the strongest and stoniest hearts were moved by generous 
impulses that went out to and sought opportunities to 
fraternize with the rank and file of the equally brave men, 
whose cause — a cause for which they had made such 
frightful sacrifices — had gone out forever in smoke and 
flame now ended. 

"The visible dividing line between ecstatic joy and 
nameless grief separated the blue and gray for the hours 
we waited in arms the announcement of the surrender, 
and when this was accomplished both armies went into 
camp side by side. The line was crossed ; intercourse 
between all was free and cordial. Food was given to the 
hungry, drink to the thirsty and comfort to those oppressed 
with the natural chagrin felt by the surrendered men 
and officers, one of whom said to the writer and others, 
*You can return to your Northern homes of peace in 



THE CIVIL WAR 165 

honor beneath the flag you fought under. We now have 
no Confederate flag; it is lost; our pride is grievously 
wounded and our homes are full of sorrow,' and, over- 
come with suppressed emotions that seemed, as he thought, 
to unman him for the moment, he turned away from us 
to recover his self-possession. 

"The terms of surrender, the 'only terms' other than 
that of ' unconditional ' surrender, then made by Grant 
were of the most considerate and honorable character. 
No formal surrender of the sword of Lee was exacted, no 
parade of captives through the open ranks of victorious 
troops ; the retention of side arms by officers, with the 
horses of the whole command and all material that could 
be converted to the utilities of peaceful pursuits were con- 
ceded them. The arms and munitions of war only were 
required to be turned in ; and with simple paroles of 
honor all were hastened to their homes, with thousands 
of merry • Good-byes to you, Johnnies,' and as many re- 
turns of ' God bless you, Yanks ! ' 

" We turned homeward on the 11th. The command 
was well on the road in the morning, with Burksville 
Junction as our objective point, when Grant and Lee, 
riding side by side, the former accompanied by a few 
members of his staff", passed our head-quarters at a brisk 
trot. Both were in uniform ; neither wore swords. Both 
were superbly mounted on bay horses. In appearance 
and elegance of figure and horsemanship Lee had the ad- 
vantage. Both were enthusiastically admired, and better 
than this, all the cavalry were heartily glad to follow both 
to Richmond, with Grant in command." 



CHAPTER X. 

grant's farewell to his soldiers MAKES A TOUR THROUGH 

THE NORTHERN STATES HIS RECEPTION AT GALENA 

MAKES A TOUR THROUGH THE SOUTH HIS VIEW OF ITS 

CONDITION "GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 3." SUPPRESSION 

OF THE RICHMOND Examiner — A reception by the 

LEATHER DEALERS OF NEW YORK IS PRESENTED WITH 

$100,000 — RECEPTION AT BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC 

IS MADE GENERAL IN THE REGULAR ARMY HIS LETTER 

TO GENERAL ORD. 

On the loth of April General Grant reached Washing- 
ton, where he was received with great enthusiasm. The 
city was illuminated in a manner never before known in 
its annals. On the following day General Grant attended 
a meeting of the President's cabinet, and during a con- 
versation with the President was invited by that officer to 
attend Ford's Theatre with him that eveninsf. Grant had 
business which demanded his presence in Philadelphia, 
and therefore could not attend. Lincoln attended and 
lell under the assassin's bullet. 

The war being over, and the moment having arrived 
when it became necessary to discharge the brave boys 
who had so earnestly followed him to victory, General 
(irant issued the following address : 

*' SohHers of the Armies of the United States — By your 
patriotic devotion to your country in the hour of danger 
and alarm, your magnificent fighting, bravery and en- 

(104) 



THE CIVIL WAR. 165 

durance, joii have maintained the supremacy of the Union 
and the Constitution, overthrown all armed opposition to 
the enforcement of the laws and of the proclamation for- 
ever abolishing slavery — the cause and pretext of the 
Rebellion — and opened the way to the rightful authorities 
to restore order and inaugurate peace on a permanent and 
enduring basis on every foot of American soil. Your 
marches, sieges and battles, in distance, duration, resolu- 
tion and brilliancy of results, dim the lustre of the world's 
past military achievements, and will be the patriot's pre- 
cedent in defence of liberty and right in all time to come. 
In obedience to your country's call you left your homes 
and families in her defence. Victory has crowned your 
valor and secured the purpose of your patriotic hearts ; 
and, with the gratitude of your countrymen and the 
highest honors a great and free nation can accord, you 
will soon be permitted to return to your homes and fami- 
lies, conscious of having discharged the highest duty of 
American citizens. To achieve these glorious triumphs, 
and secure to yourselves, your fellow-countrymen and 
posterity the blessings of free institutions, tens of thou- 
sands of your gallant comrades have fallen and sealed the 
priceless legacy with their blood. The graves of these a 
grateful nation bedews with tears, honors their memory, 
and will ever cherish and support their stricken families." 
During the summer which followed General Grant 
made a tour through the Northern States, and was every- 
where received with enthusiasm. From thence he pro- 
ceeded westward, visiting the tomb of Lincoln at Spring- 
field, 111. Subsequently he visited his old home at 
Galena, 111. Here he was tendered a grand reception, 
and the citizens of that place manifested their apprecia- 
tion of his services by presenting him with a furnished 
house, situated just out of the town, and commanding a 



IfiR J AYE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

fine view of the river and surronnding country. At New 
Yorlv a grand banquet was tendered him at the Fifth 
Avenue Hotel. Concerning it one has observed : " The 
enthusiasm with which his entrance was greeted was such 
as rarely finds genuine expression in fashionable society, 
where the conventional restraints of good breeding deny 
the expression of every natural feeling on the supposition 
that such conduct is vulgar. Though he was the centre 




%-p'' 
^ 




1 



CUAliLE.-^iU^. 



of attraction, Grant remained as impassive and apparently 
unconcerned as he always does. Such ovations he re- 
ceives, as he gains his victories, without surprise and 
without elation." 

In the fall General Grant made a tour through the 
South in the interest of the Government. On the 1st of 
December he entered Charleston, S. C. The Union 
League, composed of colored citizens, gave him a torch- 



THE CIVIL WAK. 



167 



light procession and serenade. Other points were also 
visited, and among them Richmond, Raleigh and Savan- 
nah. One of the objects — and perhaps we should say 
tJie object — of Grant's tour at this time was to obtain in- 
formation concerning the workings of the military gov- 
ernment and also of the Freedman's Bureau, and to 
ascertain the moral and physical condition of the people. 











« ' \-i^wf 




CAPITOL, AT RALEIGU. 

The results of his investigations are given in his report 
made to the President soon after his return. In this re- 
port he says : 

" It seems to me that this could be corrected by regard- 
ing every officer on duty with troops in the Southern 
States as an agent of the Freedman's Bureau, and then 
have all orders from the head of the Bureau sent through 
11 



168 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



the department commanders. This would create a re- 
sponsibility that would cause uniformity of action through- 
out the South, and cause the orders and instructions from 
the head of the Bureau being carried out, and would 
relieve from duty and pay a large number of employes 
of the Government." 

It would seem that had these measures been carried 
out they would have secured the results which were 
desired. It is well known what followed the failure to 
adopt theui. On the Tith of January. 1866, the follow- 
ing order was issued from the War Department : 

General Orders, No. 3. 
f War Department, Adjutant-General's Office. 
1 Washington, January 12th, 1866, 

Military division and department commanders whose commands 
embrace or are composed of any of the late rebellious States, and 
who have not already done so, will at once issue and enforce orders 
protecting from prosecution or suits, in the State or municipal 
courts of such States, all officers and soldiers of tlie armies of the 
United States, and all persons thereto attaclied, or in any way 
thereto belonging, subject to military authority, charged with of- 
fences for acts done in their military capacity, or pursuant to 
orders from military authority, and to protect from suit or prosecu- 
tion all loyal citizens or persons charged with offences done against 
the rebel forces, directl}^ or indirectly, during the existence of the 
Rebellion, and all persons, their agents or employes, charged with 
the occupancy of abandoned lands or plantations, or the possession 
or custody of any kind of property whatever, who occupied, used, 
po.ssessed or controlled the same, pursuant to the order of the 
President or any of the civil or military departments of the Govern- 
ment, and to jjrotect them from any penalty or damages that may 
have been, or may be, pronounced or adjudged in said courts in 
any ot such cases, and also protecting colored persons from prose- 
cutions in any of said States, charged with offences for which 
white persons are not prosecuted or punished in the same manner 
or degree. By command of 

Likutknaxt-Genkkai- GkanT: 

K. 1). TowNsKM), A.s.-iidant Adjutant- General. 



THE CIVIL WAR. 169 

T'l Febniarv General Grant issued an order for the sup- 
pression of the Richmond Examiner, on account of the 
unpatriotic utterances of tliat paper. On the 19th of the 
same month, however, it was permitted to resume its 
issue. During the same month, General Grant visited 
New York, and was given a grand reception by the leather 
dealers of that city, in the warerooms of Messrs. Arm- 
strong & Sons, in Ferry street. Upon Grant's appearance 
he was loudly cheered. In response to the oft-repeated 
call for a speech, he said : " Gentlemen, you know I never 
make speeches. I am happy to meet my old friends of 
the leather trade." Before leaving the city, a purse of 
^100,000 was presented him by the citizens of that city. 
During this visit, also, he visited the rooms of the Union 
Relief Connnittee and inspected specimens of writing exe- 
cuted by soldiers who had lost their right arms in the 
Rebellion. There were two hundred and seventy speci- 
mens exhibited. After the General had examined them, 
he said, " These boys write better with their left hands 
thnn I do with my right." He then made the following 
entry upon the visitors' book : 

New York, February 24th, 1866. 
I have examined the large and exceedingly interesting collec- 
tion of the left-hand manuscripts written by our disabled soldiers 
who have lost their right arms. They are eminently lionorable to 
the authors, and from the excellence of the penmanship it would 
require a task I should be sorry to accept to decide on the merits 
of the competitors. U- S. Grant, 

Lieutenant- General U. S. Army. 

Two days later he was given a splendid reception at the 
Brooklyn Academy of Music, after which, on the same 
night, he left for Washington on a special train. In April 
he paid a second visit to Richmond, and was received with 
great cordiality. In July, the grade of General was 



170 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

created. For that position Grant was nominated, which 
nomination was confirmed on the 25th of the same 
month. 

It is a well-known fact that there was a disagreement 
between the President and the Congress which met in 
1867, and we need not dwell upon the particulars relating 
thereto, only so far as they are calculated to throw light 
on the life and character of General Grant. And such a 
consideration, we are confident, will show that his sympa- 
thies were ever on the side of justice and right. On the 
12th of July, in response to a call from Congress, there 
was laid before that body a circular which had been issued 
on the 22d of the May previous, by the secretary of war, 
addressed to General Grant. It was as follows : 

" General : Recent occurrences in some of the military 
districts indicate a necessity of great vigilance, on the 
part of military commanders, to be prepared for the pre- 
vention and prompt suppression of riots and breaches of 
the public peace, especially in towns and cities ; and they 
should have their forces in hand, and so posted, on all 
occasions where disturbances may be apprehended, as to 
promptly check, and if possible to prevent, outbreaks and 
violence endangering public and private safety. You 
will, therefore, call tlie attention of commanders of mili- 
tary districts to this subject, and issue such precautionary 
orders as may be found necessary for the purpose in- 
dicated." 

To this General Grant added the following indorse- 
ment : 

" The above conveys all the instructions deemed neces- 
sary, and will be acted on by district commanders making 
special reports of precautionary orders issued by them to 
prevent the recurrence of mobs or other unlawful via- 
Icnce." 



THE CIVIL WAll. 171 

He also sent the following letter to General Ord, Com- 
mander of the Fourth District, which will indicate the 
course of action which he felt it his duty to pursue in 
reference to the matter of reconstruction : 

Washington, June 23c?, 1867. 
Brevet Major- General E. 0. Orel, Commanding Fourth District: 

General : A copy of your final instructions to the Board of 
Registration of June 10th, 1867, is just received. I entirely dis- 
sent from tho views contained in paragraph 4. Your views as to 
the duties of registers to register every man who will take the re- 
quired oath, though they may know tlie applicant perjures 
himself, is sustained by the attorney -general. My opinion is that 
it is the duty of the Board of Registration to see, as far as lies in 
their power, that no unauthorized person is allowed to register. 
To secure this end registers should be allowed to administer oaths 
and examine witnesses. The law, however, makes district com- 
manders their own interpreters of their power and duty under it, 
and, in m}' opinion, the attorney-general or myself can no more 
than give our opinion as to the meaning of the law. Neither can 
enforce their views against the judgment of those made respon- 
sible for the faithful execution of the law — the district com- 
manders. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

U. y. Geant, General. 







172 



OK ANT AT THK CT.OSK OF TIIK WAR. 



CHAPTER XL 

grant's opinion on the parole question GRANT AP- 
POINTED SECRETARY OF WAR acl interim — he opposes 

THE REMOVAL OF STANTON HIS TRIBUTE TO SHERIDAN 

HE RESIGNS THE POSITION AS SECRETARY OF WAR 

WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED PRESIDENT JOHNSON SCOLDS. 

On the Ttli of April General Pope, then in command 
of the Third District, addressed a letter to General 
Grant, desirino- to know his views of the status of Con- 
federate officers which had been paroled at the close of 
the war. He was desirous of knowing whether the 
paroles, which were issued in good faith at that time, still 
held good, or had been made of no effect by the procla- 
mation of the President. Pope's reason for desiring 
information was that he might know what course of 
action he ought to pursue in regard to those vrlio had 
been paroled and j^et counselled the people to resist the 
action of the Reconstruction measures passed by Congress. 
He stated it to be his opinion that the paroles issued 
demanded that all those to whom they had been granted 
should return to their homes and faithfully observe the 
laws, and, further, that the}' were to refrain from seeking 
to lead others to disregard them also. He also declared 
it to be his opinion that those who attempted to keep up 
the difficulty, and to prevent its adjustment in accordance 
with the action of Congress, violated their parole. Grant 
responded : 

ar6) 



174 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

'•' Your views on the obligation of a parole are in strict 
accoidance with my own." 

On the 6th of August, 1867, President Johnson noti- 
fied Secretary of War Stanton that he was dismissed 
from office. Stanton refused to yield his position, claim- 
ing that a bill recently passed by Congress, entitled 
Tenure of Office Bill, provided that he could not be dis- 
missed from office without the concurrence of the Senate, 
and that body was not in session at that time. On the 12th 
of August Johnson addressed a second letter to Stanton, 
stating that he must at once " cease to exercise all the 
functions pertaining" to the office of secretary of war, 
and "transfer to General U. S. Grant, who has this day 
been authorized and empowered to act as Secretary of 
War ad interim, all records, books, papers and other 
public property now in your custody and charge." 

On the same day Grant received notice of his appoint- 
ment, and he at once addressed the following letter to 
Stanton : 

f " Head-quarters Armies of the U. S., 
I " Washington, August 12th, 1867. 
"77(c Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 

" Sir : Enclosed herewith I have to transmit to you a copy of a 
letter just received from the President of the United States, notify- 
ing me of my assignment as acting Secretary of War, and direct- 
ing mc to assume those duties at once. In notifying you of my 
acceptance, I cannot let the opportunity pass without expressing 
to you my appreciation of the zeal, patriotism, firmness and ability 
with wliich you have ever discharged the duty of Secretary of 
War. 

" With great respect, your obedient servant, 

" U. S. Grant, General'' 

Stanton at once surrendered his olTice to Grant, and 
addressed the President as follows : '• Under a sense of 
])ul)lic duty I am compelled to deny your right, under 
tlie coikstitution and laws of the United States, without 




175 



,76 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the .advice and consent of the Senate, to suspend me 
from office as secretary of war, or the exercise of any or 
all functions pertaining to the same. But inasmuch as 
the General connnanding the armies of the United States 
has been appointed Secretary of War ad interim, and has 
notified me that he has accepted the appointment, I have 
no alternative but to submit, under protest, to superior 
force." 

The acceptance by General Grant of the position thus 
tendered him subjected him to many an unjust criticism. 
Still Grant had acted, as he ever did, from a conviction 
of duty, and the removal of Stanton was in direct oppo- 
sition to his wishes, as expressed in the following extract 
from a letter addressed to the President : " His removal 
cannot be effected against his will without the consent of 
the Senate. It was but a short time since the United 
States Senate was in session^ and why not then have 
asked for his removal, if it is desired ? It certainly was 
the intention of the legislative branch of the government 
to place a cabinet minister beyond the power of execu- 
tive removal, and it is pretty well understood that, so far 
as cabinet ministers are affected by the Tenure of Office 
Bill, it was intended specially to protect the secretary of 
war, whom the country felt great confidence in. The 
meaning of the law may be explained away by an astute 
lawyer, but the common sense and the views of loyal 
people will give it the effect intended by its framers." 

At the same time he remonstrated agrainst the removal 
of General Sheridan from the Fifth Military District in 
the following language : " Let me ask you to consider the 
effect it would have upon the public. He is universally 
and deservedly beloved by the people who sustained this 
govcrniiuMit through its trials, and feared by those who 
would be still the enemies of the government. It fell to 



THE CIVIL WAR. 177 

tlie lot of but few men to do as mucli against an armed 
enemy as General Sheridan did during the Rebellion, and 
it is within the scope of the ability of but few, in this or 
in any other country, to do what he has done. His civil 
administration has given equal satisfaction. He has had 
difficulties to contend with which no other district com- 
mander has encountered. Almost, if not quite, from the 
day he was appointed district commander to the present 
time the press has given out that he Avas to be removed, 
that the administration was not satisfied with him. This 
has emboldened the opponents of the laws of Congress 
within his command to oppose him in every way in their 
power, and has rendered necessary measures which other- 
wise might never have been necessary. In conclusion, 
allow me to say as a friend, desiring peace and quiet, the 
welfare of the whole country, north and south, that it is, 
in my opinion, more than the loyal people of this country 
(I mean those who supported the government during the 
great Rebellion) will quieth^ submit to, to see the very 
man, of all others, in whom they have expressed their 
confidence, removed." 

The removal of General Sheridan was not effected 
until after General Grant entered upon his duties as Sec- 
retary of War ad interim. Having been directed by the 
President to transfer General Sheridan to the Department 
of the Missouri, he replied as follows: "It is unmis- 
takably the expressed wish of the country that General 
Sheridan should not be removed from his present com- 
mand. This is a republic where the will of the people is 
the law of the land. I beg leave that their voice may be 
heard. General Sheridan has performed his civil duties 
faithfully and intelligently. His removal will only be 
regarded as an effort to defeat the laws of Con<:;ress. It 
will be interpreted by the unreconstructed element in the 



178 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

South — those who did all they could to break up this 
government by arms, and now wish to be the only 
element consulted as to the method of restoring order — 
as a triumph. It will embolden them to renewed oppo- 
sition to the will of the loyal masses, believing that they 
have the Executive with them." But, in spite of this 
remonstrance, Sheridan was removed. 

For five months Grant held the position to which he 
had been appointed. When Congress reassembled, it 
refused to sanction the removal of Stanton, whereupon 
Grant at once resigned. The results of that five months' 
service is thus stated by General John L. Swift : 

" By his direction, while Secretary of War ad intei'im, 
the duties of the Bureaus of Rebel Archives and of Ex- 
change of Prisoners were transferred to the adjutant- 
general's office, thus dispensing with the services of a 
great number of officers and clerks. He reduced the 
number of agents and subordinates in the Freedmen's 
Bureau, and largely curtailed its expenses ; closed useless 
hospitals and dispensaries; discontinued a long list of 
superfluous mustering and disbursing offices, discharging 
their numerous incumbents and attendants, and thus 
stopping the needless expenditure of considerable sums. 
He sold surplus animals, ambulances, wagons, etc., to 
the amount of $33,535, and superfluous and useless 
stores and war material of various kinds amounting to 
$208,000, and 1,000 temporary buildings used by quar- 
termasters throughout the country, to make every prac- 
ticable reduction in the number of employes on duty 
under their direction. The result was that in a short 
time the monthly expenses of that department, arising 
from the hire of civilians, had been reduced by $407,065, 
making an annual i saving in this item alone of nearly 
$5,000,000. Besides the class of employes just mentioned, 



THE CIVIL WAR. 179 

the number of mechanics, laborers and others in various 
branches of service were so reduced that the monthly 
expenditures in this particular were curtailed full $100,000, 
making an annual saving of more than $1,200,000." 

General Grant's resignation of the office of Secretary of 
War ad interim was the result of an honest conviction of 
duty. When the Senate refused to concur in the reasons for 
the suspension of Mr. Stanton, Grant at once regarded his 
duties as terminated by that resolution, and that he could 
not lawfully exercise such duties for a moment after the 
adoption of the resolution by the Senate. That resolution 
reached him on the evening of the 18th of January. He 
at once proceeded to his room in the War Department, 
bolted one door on the inside, locked the other on the 
outside, delivered the key to the adjutant-general, and 
proceeded to the headquarters of the army and addressed 
a note to the President, informing him that he (General 
Grant) was no longer Secretary of War ad interim. 

This resolution by no means pleased the President, 
and he at once charged him with having violated his 
word, saying that he had promised to hold the position 
until the Supreme Court should decide the merits of the 
question. In his reply Grant denied that he had made 
such statement, saying that he never intended to hold the 
position in opposition to the action of the Senate. The 
controversy soon assumed a personal nature, in which the 
President assailed the character of Grant in no gentle 
manner. On the other hand. Grant's replies, while he 
endeavored to show the right of his position, treated the 
President with great respect. Johnson appealed to the 
members of his cabinet for support in the matter, but 
even in this direction failed to secure the desired end. In 
a letter addressed to the President General Grant con- 
cludes as follows : 



180 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

"The course you would have it understood I agreed to 
pursue was in violation of law and without orders from 
you, while the course I did pursue, and which I never 
doubted you fully understood, was in accordance with law, 
and not in disobedience of any orders of my superior. 

" And now, Mr. President, when my honor as a soldier 
and integrity as a man have been so violently assailed, 
pardon me for saying that I can but regard this whole 
matter from the beginning to the end as an attempt to 
involve me in the resistance of law, for which you hesi- 
tated to assume the responsibility in orders, and thus to 
destroy my character before the country. I am in a 
measure confirmed in this conclusion by your recent 
orders directing me to disobey orders from the secretary 
of war — my superior and your subordinate — without 
having countermanded his authority to issue the orders I 
am to disobey. With the assurance, Mr. President, that 
nothing less than a vindication of my personal honor and 
character could have induced this correspondence on my 
part, I. have tiie honor," etc. 

With his withdrawal from this office closes, practically, 
definitely, the military chapter of General Grant's life. 
Henceforth the honors he was to win and wear were to 
be those of the civic crown, the rewards of the distin- 
guished citizen, the crown of the presidency. 

The simple story just concluded of his military life is 
one that no one can read without a stirring sense of 
admiration. As a commander he outranks any general 
of modern times. He lost more men in one battle than 
Wellington ever commanded, and through all the momen- 
tous, monstrous struggles of the great Rebellion his crest 
was ever in the thickest of the battle, was ever on the 
s|)ot that bred victory lor the Union arms. His name was 
the synonym of victory, his arm the guide-post of glory ! 



I 



CHAPTER XII. 

ORANT A PRESIDENT — THE CAUSES WHICH LED TO HIS BEING 

NOMINATED — HIS ELECTION AND VOTES A SUMMARY OF 

HIS POLITICAL CAREER SOME OF THE GREATER INCIDENTS 

OF HIS WHITE HOUSE LIFE SAN DOMINGO FINANCE — 

THE ALABAMA ARBITRATION THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBI. 

TION THE CLOSE OF HIS PUBLIC SERVICE THE THIRD 

TERM — HIS LAST MESSAGE TO THE NATION. 

The natural ladder of fame when it has led a hero to 
the topmost round of military leadership offers next the 
laurels of civic honor. It was therefore inevitable that 
succeeding Grant's triumph as a warrior were to come 
his years as an administrator. 

Yet Grant was not a politician. He was not seeking 
office nor the prizes politics bestowed. His platform 
politically may be gathered from a speech delivered at 
Des Moines: 

" Let us labor for security of free thought, free speech, 
free press, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, 
and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective 
of nationality, color or religion ; encourage free schools ; 
resolve that not one dollar appropriated to them shall go 
to the support of any sectarian school ; resolve that 
neither State nor nation shall support any institution, 
save those where every child may get common-school 
education unmixed with atheistic, pagan or sectarian 
teaching." 

Nor could Grant be considered a good Republican in a 

(181) 
/ 

r 
} 



182 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

part}' sense. His leanings, had he ever analyzed them 
or proclaimed them to himself, would have possibly led 
him into the Democratic camp. But his patriotism was 
sterling, the Republican party had made and conducted 
the war to a successful conclusion ; Grant was a part of 
that success. 

Then, too, the acts of omission and commission of 
Andrew Johnson had well nigh discouraged as well as 
dismantled the Republican party. It needed a strong 
leader to unite the scattered forces under one banner, it 
needed some great popular sentiment to make all efforts 
for victory. It was to be found in the name of Grant — 
Grant was the word to conjure with. Himself, one 
of the war's successes, no one could better lead the 
banner of victory. He was unanimously nominated for 
the Presidency by the Republican National Convention 
which convened at Chicago, May 21st, 1868. Senator 
Hawley thus tells the story of that event : 

"At the Republican National Convention of 1868, all 
who were present will remember the absolute unanimity 
and enthusiasm with which General Grant received his 
first nomination for the Presidency. It was with difficulty 
that the convention could be restrained and confined to 
the regular orderly proceedings, for the great multitude 
seemed determined to anticipate the proceedings and 
nominate the General with one great shout, while those 
who desired a more impressive and effective proceeding 
restrained all irregularities, and in due course of things 
the names of every State and Territory were called, and 
the leader of each delegation formally gave its full vote 
lor Ulysses S. Grant, each successive announcement being 
received with a roll of applause, and at the summing of 
tli«' whole, the convention breaking into a tremendous 
and overwhelming demonstration that died away and 




12 



1S3 



184 LIFE OF GENERAL GRA]^T. 

rose again for many minutes. It was but recording the 
unanimous wish of the party ; it was a result which no 
man contrived, and which no man could have prevented. 
As president of the convention, it became my duty to 
lead the committee that was instructed to proceed to 
Washington and formally notify the General. 

"Arriving in Washington the committee requested me 
to call upon the General and ask him for his wishes con- 
cerning the more formal proceedings. The late Senator 
Ferry, of Connecticut, accompanied me. General Grant 
received us with his usual quiet and simple cordiality, 
and we sat with him for possibly an hour in his library. 
The arrangements for the next day were easily made, 
but the General seemed inclined to talk, and, of course, 
we were only too glad to listen. Some of his expressions 
I remember with exactness ; others I can give correctly 
in substance. 

" He said, ' If this were simply a matter of personal 
preference and satisfaction, I would not wish to be Presi- 
dent. I have now arrived at the extreme limit of the 
ambition of a soldier. I was at the head of the Army of 
the United States during the great decisive war. I remain 
the head of the army, with the country reunited and at 
peace, as I believe it is to be for many years — I hope for- 
ever. The people speak kindly of me, even our fellow 
citizens of the South, many of them. If I remain where 
I am, as time passes and the animosities of the war die 
away, I do not see why I should not be at peace with all 
men. The pay of the position abundantly provides for 
myself and my family. What more could a man wish ? 
To go into the Presidency opens altogether a new field 
to me, in which there is to be a new strife, to which I am 
not trained. It may be that I should fail in giving 
satisfaction to the country. Then I should go out at the 



AS PRESIDENT. 



186 



end of my political service having reduced the number 
of my friends and lost my position as a soldier. That is 
a very disagreeable possibility. But there is nothing to 
be said ; there is no choice left for me ; there is nothing 
else to do.' 




SENATOK JOSEPH R. HAWLEY. 



" This he repeated several times : ' I have no choice 
whatever but submission.' He spoke with a serious 
respect for the great place, and a sense of its responsi- 
bilities. It is not possible that the gratitude of the people 



186 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

and the unanimity with which he was sought should 
have been otherwise than agreeable to any man. But at 
that moment he seemed to be dwelling upon the pleasant 
things which he surrendered in accepting the nomination, 
and yet to go forward with the simple obedience of a 
thorough soldier. 

•' When the committee called upon General Grant the 
next day, I held in my hand the manuscript of a few re- 
marks in which I made the formal announcement. The 
General replied without notes and without hesitation. 
The accurate stenographic report show^s that he replied 
with as much aptness as though he had taken a day to 
prepare. 

'' Tlie most precious autograph in my collections is the 
letter of acceptance, which was addressed to me as the 
president of the convention, and in which occurs the 
famous expression, ' Let us have peace.' It is all in his 
own hand, was his first draft, and contains onl}' one cor- 
rection, the change of a word, at the suggestion of 
Schuyler Colfax." 

An active canvass followed, in which the brief expres- 
sion — " let us have peace " — in Grant's letter of accept- 
ance, was liberally employed by Republican journals and 
orators to tone down what were regarded as rapidly 
growing race and sectional differences, and with such 
effect that Grant carried all of the States save eisht, re- 
ceiving an electoral vote of 214 against 80. 

Four years later Grant came face to face with the 
Liberal Republican party. That party was founded 
through an issue raised in Missouri, though the course 
of Horace (Jreeley had long pointed toward the organiza- 
Liou of something of the kind, and with equal plainness it 
pointed to his desire to be its champion and candidate for 
the Presidency. In 1870 the Republican party, then in 



AS PRESIDENT. 187 

control of the Legislature of Missouri, split into two parts 
on the question of the removal of the disqualifications 
imposed upon rebels by the State Constitution during the 
war. Those favoring the removal of disabilities were 
headed by B. Gratz Brown and Carl Schurz, and they 
^called themselves Liberal Republicans; those opposed 
were called and accepted the name of Radical Republicans. 
The former quickly allied themselves with the Demo- 
crats, and thus carried the State, though Grant's admin- 
istration " stood in " with the Radicals. As a result the 
disabilities were quickly removed, and those who believed 
with Greeley now sought to promote a reaction in Repub- 
lican sentiment all over the country. Greeley was the 
recognized head of this movement, and he was ably aided 
by ex-Governor Curtin and Cobnel A. K. McClure in 
Pennsylvania; Charles Francis Adams, Massachusetts; 
Judge Trumbull, in Illinois; Reuben E. Fenton, in New 
York ; Brown and Schurz, in Missouri, and in fact by 
leading Republicans in nearly all of the States, who at 
once began to lay plans to carry the next presidential 
election. 

They charged that the Enforcement Acts of Congress 
were designed more for the political advancement of 
Grant's adherents than for the benefit of the country ; that 
instead of suppressing they were calculated to promote a 
war of races in the South ; that Grant was seeking the 
establishment of a military despotism, etc. These leaders 
were, as a rule, brilliant men. They had tired of unap- 
preciated and unrewarded service in the Republican 
party, or had a natural fondness for ^'pastures new," 
and, in the language of the day, they quickly succeeded 
in making political movements "lively." 

In the spring of 1871 the Liberal Republicans and 
Democrats of Ohio — and Ohio seems to be the most fertile 



188 



LIFE OF GENEllAL GRANT. 



soil for new ideas — prepared for a fusion, and after fre- 
quent consultations of the various leaders with Mr. 
Greeley in New York, a call was issued from Missouri on 
the 24th of January, 1872, for a National Convention of 




GRANT'S STAKT FOR HIS SECOND INAUGURATION. 

the Liberal Republican party to be held at Cincinnati, 
May 1st. The well-matured plans of the leaders were 
carried out in the nomination of Hon. Horace Greeley for 
President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President, thouo-h 



AS PRESIDENT. 189 

not without a serious struggle over the chief nomination, 
which was warmly contested by the friends of Charles 
Francis Adams. Indeed he led in most of the six ballots, 
but finally all the friends of other candidates voted for 
Greeley, and he received 482 to 187 for Adams. Dissatis- 
fiction followed, and a later effort was made to substitute 
Adams for Greeley, but it failed. The original leaders 
now prepared to capture the Democratic Convention, 
which met at Baltimore, June 9th. By nearly an unan- 
imous vote it was induced to indorse the Cincinnati 
platform, and it likewise finally indorsed Greeley and 
Brown — though not without many bitter protests. A few 
straight-out Democrats met later at Louisville, Ky., Sep- 
tember 3d, and nominated Charles O'Conor, of New York, 
for President, and John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, 
for Vice-President, and these were kept in the race to the 
end, receiving a popular vote of about 30,000. 

The regular Republican National Convention was held 
at Philadelphia, June 5th. It renominated Grant for 
President unanimously. At the succeeding election 
Grant carried enough States to give him 286 votes in the 
Electoral College, as against eighty for all others — though 
seventeen of those cast for Greeley, who had in the mean- 
time died from disappointment, were not voted. 

Eight years later — 1880 — a desperate attempt was 
made by the stalwart leaders of the Republican party to 
nominate Grant for "a third term." Grant's three power- 
ful Senatorial friends, in the face of bitter protests, had 
secured the instructions of their respective State Con- 
ventions for Grant. Conklins: had done this in New 
York, Cameron in Pennsylvania, Logan in Illinois, but in 
each of the three States the opposition was so impressive 
that no serious attempts were made to substitute other 
delegates for those which had previously been selected by 



190- LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

their Congressional districts. As a result there was a 
large ininoritj in the delegations of these States opposed 
to the nomination of General Grant, and the votes of them 
could only be controlled by the enforcement of the unit 
rule. Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, the president of 
the convention, decided against its enforcement, and as a 
result all of the delegates were free to vote upon either 
State or District instructions, or as they chose. This 
ended Grant's candidacy, for although Senator Conkling 
made a brilliant battle for his leader, the result was 
adverse. In nominating General Grant, Senator Conk- 
ling spoke as follows, delivering his words passionately 
and with desperate emphasis, from which may be inferred 
the partisan bitterness with which the conflict was carried 
on: 

"'And when asked what State.he hails from, 

Our sole reply shall be, 
He hails from Appomattox, 

And its famous apple tree.'' 

" In obedience to instructions which I should never 
dare to disregard, expressing also my own firm convic- 
tions, I rise, Mr. President, in behalf of the State of New 
York, to propose a nomination with which the country 
and the Republican party can grandly win. The election 
before us is the Austerlitz of American politics. It will 
decide, for many years, whether the country shall be Re- 
publican or Cossack. The supreme need of the hour is 
not a candidate who can carry Michigan. All Republi- 
can candidates can do that. Tlie need is not of a candi- 
date popular in the Territories, because the Territories 
have no vote. The need is of a candidate who can carry 
doubtful States. Not the doubtful States of the North 
aloue, but also doubtful States of the South, which we 
have heard, if I understand ariojht, ou^ht to take little or 



AS PRESIDENT. 191 

no part here, because the South has nothing to give, but 
everything to receive. The need which urges itself on 
the conscience and reason of the convention is of a candi- 
date who can carry doubtful States, both North and 
South. And believing that he, more surely than any 
other man, can carry New York against any opponent, 
and can carry not only the North, but several States of 
the South, New York is for Ulysses S. Grant. 

*•' Never defeated — in peace or in war — his name is the 
most illustrious borne by living man. 

" His services attest his greatness, and the country — 
nay, the world — know them by heart. His fame was 
earned not alone by things written and said, but by the 
arduous greatness of things done ; and perils and emergen- 
cies will search in vain in the future, as they have searched 
in vain in the past, for any other on whom the nation 
leans with such confidence and trust. Never having had 
a policy to enforce against the will of the people, he never 
betrayed a cause or a friend, and the people will never 
desert or betray him. Standing on the highest eminence 
of human distinction, modest, firm, simple and self-poised, 
having filled all lands with his renown, he has seen not 
only the high-born and the titled, but the poor and the 
lowly, in the uttermost ends of the earth, rise and uncover 
before him. He has studied the needs and the defects of 
many systems of government ; and he has returned a 
better American than ever, with a wealth of knowledge 
and experience added to the hard common sense which 
shone so conspicuously in all the fierce light that beat 
upon him during sixteen years, the most trying, the most 
portentous, the most perilous in the nation's history. 

'' Villified and reviled, ruthlessly aspersed by unnum- 
bered presses, not in other lands, but in his own, assaults 
upon him have seasoned and strengthened his hold on the 



192 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

public heart. Calumny's ammunition has all been ex- 
ploded ; the powder has all been burned once — its force is 
spent — and the name of Grant will glitter a bright and 
imperishable star in the diadem of the Republic when 
those who have tried to tarnish it have mouldered in for- 
o'otten sraves : and when their memories and their epi- 
taphs have vanished utterly. 

'' Never elated by success, never depressed by adversity, 
he has ever, in peace as in war, shown the very genius of 
common sense. The terms he presented for Lee's surren- 
der foreshadowed the wisest prophecies and principles of 
true reconstruction. Victor in the greatest war of modern 
times, he quickly signalized his aversion to war and his 
love of peace by an arbitration of international disputes 
which stands the wisest, the most majestic example of its 
kind in the world's diplomacy. 

" When inflation, at the height of its popularity and 
frenzy, had swept both Houses of Congress, it was the 
veto of Grant, single and alone, which overthrew expan- 
sion, and cleared the way for specie resumption. To 
him, immeasurably more than to any other man, is due 
the fact that every paper dollar is at last as good as 
gold. 

" With him as our leader, we shall have no defensive 
campaign. We shall have nothing to explain away. 
We shall have no apologies to make. The shafts and 
arrows have all been aimed at him, and they lie broken 
and harmless at his feet.' 

" Life, liberty and property will find a safeguard in 
him. When he said of the colored men in Florida, 
' Wherever I am, they may come also,' he meant that, 
had he the power, the poor dwellers in the cabins of the 
South should no longer be driven in terror from the homes 
of their childhood and the graves of their murdered dead. 



AS PRESIDENT. 193 

When he refused to receive Dennis Kearney in California, 
he meant that communism, hiwlessness and disorder, 
although it might stalk high-headed and dictate law to a 
whole city, would always find a foe in him. He meant 
that, popular or unpopular, he would hew to the line of 
right, let the chips tly where they may. 

" His integrity, his common sense, his courage, his un- 
equalled experience, are the qualities offered to his coun- 
try. The only argument — the only one — that the wit of 
man or the stress of politics has devised, is one which 
would dumbfounder Solomon, because Solomon thought 
there was nothing new under the sun. Having tried 
Grant twice and found him faithful, we are told that we 
mast not, even after an interval of years, trust him again. 
My countrymen ! my countrymen ! what stultification 
does such a falhicy involve. The American people ex- 
clude Jefferson Davis from public trust. Why ? Because 
he was the arch-traitor and would-be destroyer. And now 
the same people is asked to ostracise Grant, and not to 
trust /u'w?. Why? Why ? I repeat. Because he was the 
arch-preserver of his country, and because, not only in 
war, but twice as Civil Magistrate, he gave his highest, 
noblest efforts to the Republic. Is this an electioneering 
juggle, or is it hypocrisy's masquerade ? There is no field 
of human activity, responsibility or reason in which 
rational beings object to an agent because he has been 
weighed in the balance and not found wanting. There is, 
1 say, no department of human reason in which sane men 
reject an agent because he has had experience, making him 
exceptionally competent and fit. From the man who 
shoes your horse to the lawyer who tries your cause, the 
officer who manages your railway or your mill, the doctor 
into whose hands you give your life, or the minister who 
seeks to save your soul — what man do you reject because 



104 LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 

by his works you have known him, and found him faith- 
ful and fit." 

The issue of that convention the reader well knows. 
Four years later — one year ago — if there had been any 
intention to attempt to nominate General Grant, the 
movement was killed outright by the overwhelming mis- 
fortune that overtook the great hero in the shadows and 
perils of Wall street. 

Grant's Vice-President during his first term was Schuy- 
ler Colfax, of Indiana; during his second, Henry Wilson, 
of Massachusetts. His cabinet officers were as follows : 
Secretary of State, E. B. Washburne', Illinois, March 5tli, 
1869; Hamilton Fish, New York, March 11th, 1869. 
Secretary of Treasury, George S. Boutwell, Massachusetts, 
March 11th, 1869; William A. Richardson, Massachu- 
setts, March 17th, 1873 ; Benjamin H. Bristow, Kentucky, 
June 2d, 1874; Lot M. Morrill, Maine, June 21st, 1876. 
Secretary of War, John A. Rawlins, Illinois, March 11th, 
1869; William T. Sherman, Ohio, September 9th, 1869; 
William W. Belknap, Iowa, October 25th, 1869 ; Alphonso 
Taft, Ohio, March 8th, 1876; J. D. Cameron, Pennsyl- 
vania, May 22d, 1876. Secretary of Navy, Adolph E. 
Borie, Pennsylvania, March 5th, 1869; George M. Robe- 
son, New Jersey, June 25th, 1869. Secretary of Interior, 
Jacob D. Cox, Ohio, March 5th, 1869 ; Columbus Delano, 
Ohio, November 1st, 1870; Zachariah Chandler, Michi- 
gan, October 19th, 1875. Attorney-General, E. R. Hoar, 
Massachusetts, March 5th, 1869; Amos T. Akerman, 
Georgia, June 23d, 1870; George H. Williams, Oregon, 
December 14th, 1871; Edwards Pierrepont, New York, 
April 26th, 1875; Alphonso Taft, Ohio, May 22d, 1876. 
Postmaster-General, J. A. J. Creswell, Maryland, March 
•)lh, 1869; Marshall Jewell, Connecticut, August 24th, 
1874 ; James M. Tyner, Indiana, July 12th, 1876. 



AS PRESIDENT. 



195 



Grant was President eight years. These years have 
been summed up by General John L. Swift thus : 

" Grant made mistakes in war : his virtue consisted in 
never defending or repeating them. He erred in civil 
administration : it is but to acknowledge his humanity to 
admit his liability to stumble. He had the military con- 
tempi, not always sound, for doctrinaires and politicians. 
He did not, as it would have been better for him to have 
done, consult familiarly public men who had done much 
to make true public sentiment. His method of selecting 




TIIK XOKTII FROXT OF TJIY. -WIITTK IIOTTSE. 

his cabinet and of making appointments will not stand 
the test of rigid criticism. There is a better way to 
choose ministers and high officials than because of their 
genial qualities or good fellowship. As ninety per cent, 
of the civil list to-day were officers under Grant, and as 
no complaint is now made in that direction, it is apparent 
in the man that his appointments were judicious. . . , 
The motive was always good and true, whatever may 
have been the mistake. Coming into civil life unpre- 
pared, save by natural excellence of judgment, purity of 



196 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

intention and firnniess of resolve, his administration- 
brought the country each year nearer to that consumma- 
tion of reduced expenses, lessened public debt, unques- 
tioned public credit and peace at home and abroad, to 
which he stood pledged in assuming his responsibilities. 
If those in whom he placed confidence were unfaithful, 
no one of his bitterest maligners has ever yet dared to 
impugn his individual integrity or refuse to him the qual- 
ification Aristides said ' became a general/ and that is 'to 
have clean hands.' " 

Nor, too, should we forget, in summing up Grant's 
career as President of the United States, the difficulties 
which he encountered from the onset in the numberless 
difficulties arising from the condition of things in the re- 
cently conquered States of the South. Remembering there 
our charity with them throws a broad mantle over the 
acts that our judgment would hasten to condemn. 

A glimpse of the state of affairs that the President was 
called on to construe and manage may well be cited in 
the matter of the Enforcement Acts. 

In all of the Southern States those who then prided 
themselves in being "unreconstructed" and "irreconcila- 
ble " bitterly opposed both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth 
Amendments, and on these issues excited new feelings of 
hostility to the "carpet baggers" and negroes of the 
South. With the close of the war thousands of Northern 
men had settled in the South. All of them were de- 
nounced as political adventurers by the rebels, who 
opposed the amendments, reconstruction and Freedman's 
Bureau acts. ^Ihis gave rise to the Ku Klux Klans, 
secret societies organized with a view to affright negroes 
from participating in the elections, and to force white men 
of Republican leanings to leave the country. It is almost 
needless to add that as the organization grew its objects 



AS PRESIDENT. 197 

broadened, until midnight assaults, horrible whippings, 
outrages and murders were of nightly occurrence. To 
repress these outrages Congress passed an act, on May 
31st, 1870, authorizing the President to use all authority 
necessary to suppress the perpetration of these political 
ci'imes. It was amended by other acts, and President 
Grant acted with great wisdom in carrying out his new 
powers. These have little force now, although some of 
them still stand. They became a dead letter after the 
defeat of the " carpet-bag" governments. 

The enforcement of the Ku Klux Act led to the dis- 
banding of that organization after the trial, arrest and 
conviction of many of the leaders. These trials brought 
out the facts and awakened many Southern minds, there- 
tofore incredulous, to the enormity of the secret political 
crimes which had been conmiitted in all the Southern 
States, and for a time popular sentiment even in the 
South, and amongst former rebel soldiers, ran strongly 
against the Klan. With fresh political excitements, 
however, fresh means of intimidation were employed at 
elections. Rifle clubs were formed, notably in South Car- 
olina and Mississippi, while in Louisiana the " White 
League" sprang into existence, and was organized in all 
of the neighboring States. These were more difficult to 
deal with. They were open organizations, created under 
the semblance of State militia acts. They became very 
popular, especially among the younger men, and from 
this time until the close of the presidential election in 
1876 were potent factors in several Southern States. 

For an inexperienced man Grant met this issue most 
ably. 

The Act of Congress of 1862 had made "greenback" 
notes a legal tender, and they passed as such until 1869, 
against the protests of the Democrats in Congress, who 



198 LIFE OF GE:N^ERAL GRANT. 

had questioned the right of Congress to issue paper 
money. It wais on this issue that Thaddeus Stevens ad- 
mitted the RepubHcans were travelling "outside of the 
Constitution" with a view to preserve the Government, 
and this soon became one of his favorite ways of meetino; 
partisan objections to war measures. At the December 
term of the Supreme Court, in 1869, a decision was ren- 
dered that the action of Congress was unconstitutional, 
the court then being accidentally Democratic in its com- 
position. The Republicans, believing that they could not 
afford to have their favorite, and it must be admitted 
most useful, financial measure questioned, secured an in- 
crease of two in the number of supreme justices— one 
under a law creating an additional justiceship, the other 
in place of a justice who had resigned— and in March. 
1870, after the complexion of the court had been changed 
through Republican appointments made by President 
Grant, the constitutionality of the legal tender act was 
again raised, and, with Chief-Justice Chase (who had 
been Secretary of the Treasury in 1862) presiding, the 
previous decision was reversed. This was clearly a parti- 
san struggle before the court, and on the part of the Repub- 
licans an abandonment of old landmarks impressed on the 
country by the Jackson Democrats; but it is plain that 
without the greenbacks the war could not have been 
pressed with half the vigor, if at all. Neither party was 
consistent in this struggle, for Southern Democrats, who 
sided with their Northern colleagues in the plea of un- 
constitutionality, had, when " out of the Union," witnessed 
and advocated the issue of the same class of money bv 
the Confederate Congress. The difference was only In 
the ability to redeem, and this ability depended upon suc- 
cess m arms-the very thing the issue was designed to 
Pi-oniote. The last decision, despite its partisan surround- 



AS PRESIDENT. 199 

ings and opposition, soon won popularity, and the right- 
eousness of the decision is to-da^^ ahiiost universally 
admitted. 

Grant was always sound in the statesmanship of 
finance. The war currency, as shown above, had no 
support from him so long as it was unredeemed. Con- 
cerning it he said : 

" Fluctuation in the paper value of the measure of all 
values (gold) is detrimental to the interests of trade. It 
makes the man of business an involuntary gambler, for 
in the sales where future payment is to be made both 
parties speculate as to what will be the value of the cur- 
rency to be paid and received. I earnestly recommend 
to you, then, such legislation as will insure a gradual 
return to specie payments, and put an immediate stop to 
fluctuations in the value of currency." 

In his first message he called attention to the fact that 
'" among the evils growing out of the Rebellion is that of 
an irredeemable currency. It is an evil which I hope 
will receive your earliest attention. It is a duty, and 
one of the highest duties of government, to secure to the 
citizen a medium of exchange of fixed, unvarying value. 
This implies a return to specie basis, and no substitute 
for it can be devised." 

During 1875 a law was passed which contained the 
following clause : 

"On and after the first day of January, Aiuio Domini 
eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall redeem, in coin, the United States legal 
tender notes then outstanding, on their presentation for 
redemption at the office of the Assistant Treasurer of the 
United States, in the city of New York, in sums of not 
less than fifty dollars." 

Great pressure was brought to bear upon the President, 

13 



200 LIFE OF GENERAL GEAI^T. 

to induce him to withhold his signature from the Resump- 
tion Bill Not a few of Grant's warmest personal friends 
were ardent inflationists. Eminent bankers, prominent 
merchants, capitalists engaged in every kind of lousiness, 
sent in to him their remonstrance against the adoption 
of the measure. By petition, by personal appeal, by 
letter and also by telegraph, came the warning that the 
proposed policy would be the ruin of the country. 

"Prominent Republicans," says Swift, "doubted the' 
policy of naming a day when we should redeem. It was 
derided as a party dodge and a visionary scheme. Not 
for one moment did Grant waver. Pie felt that if the 
occasion slipped hy it might not come again. The bill 
was right. The vital interests of the country demanded 

that we should come back to financial sanity 

By his act the bill became law, and because of that act 
resumption is now an accomplished fact. It was among 
the last acts of special importance in his administration, 
and was the consummation of a recommendation made by 
him in his first state paper. . . . We are to-da}^ — 
because we had Grant lor President — regarded by the 
world as an honest nation." 

In these very essential matters General Grant was 
right, his policy was clear and determined, and history 
in sununing up his career will adjudge him much merit 
for the stand he took in the financial cause of this 
country. 

His career as President was signalized by many events 
that will serve to bring him substantial renown when the 
historian of the future bestows the laurels of renown. I 
have now but to mention a few of them. 

The second session of the 41st Congress began Decem- 
ber 5th, 1870. With all of the States represented, recon- 
Btruction being complete, the body was now divided 



I 



AS PRESIDENT. 201 

politically as follows: Senate, 61 Republicans, 13 Demo- 
crats; House, 172 Republicans, 71 Democrats. Presi- 
dent Grant's annual message discussed a new question, 
and advocated the annexation of San Domingo to the 
United States. A treaty had been negotiated between 
President Grant and the President of the Republic of San 
Domingo as early as September 4th, 1869, looking to 
annexation, but it had been rejected b}' the Senate, 
Charles Sumner being prominent in his opposition to the 
measure. He and Grant experienced a growing personal 
unpleasantness, because of the President's attempt to 
negotiate a treaty without consulting Mr. Sumner, who 
was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
it was charged that through the influence of the President 
he was removed by the Republican caucus from this chair- 
manship, and Senator Simon Cameron put in his place. 
Whether this was true or not, the differences, between 
Grant and Sumner were universally remarked, and 
Sumner's imperious pride led hir/ into a very vindictive 
assault upon the proposition. "Grant gave few other 
reasons for annexation than military ones; suggested that 
as a naval station it would facilitate all home operations 
in the gulf, while in the hands of a foreign power, in the 
event of war, it would prove the depot for many and dan- 
gerous warlike preparations. The question had little 
political significance, if it was ever designed to have any, 
and this second attempt to bring the scheme to the atten- 
tion of Congress, was that a joint resolution (as in the 
annexation of Texas) might be passed. This would re- 
quire but a majority, but the objection was met that no 
territory could be annexed Mathout a treaty, and this 
must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. A middle 
course was taken, and the President was authorized to 
appoint three commissioners to visit San Domingo and 



202 LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 

ascertain the desires of its people. These reported favor- 
ably, but the subject was finally dropped, probably be- 
cause the proposition could not command a two-thirds 
vote, and has not since attracted attention. 

In 1871 General Grant's administration achieved a 
brilliant record in the settlement of the long-disputed 
Alabama claims of the United States against Great 
Britain, arising from the depredations of the Anglo-rebel 
privateers, built and fitted out in British waters. These 
claims were referred by the Treaty of Washington, dated 
May 8th, 1871, to arbitrators, and this was the first and 
most signal triumph in the plan of arbitration, so far as 
the Government of the United States was concerned. 
The arbitrators were appointed, at the invitation of the 
Governments of Great Britain and the United States, 
from these poworc, and from Brazil, Italy and Switzerland. 
On September llth, 1872, they gave to the United States 
gross damages to the amount of $15,500,000, an amount 
which has subsequently proved to be really in excess of 
the demands of merchants and others claiming the loss of 
property through the depredations of the rebel ram 
Alabama and other rebel privateers. We append a list 
of the representatives of the several governments : 

Arbitrator on the part of the United States — Charles 
Francis Adams. 

Arbitrator on the part of Great Britain — The Right 
Honorable Sir Alexander Cockburn, Baronet, Lord Chief- 
Justice of England. 

Arbitrator on the part of Italy — His Excellency Senator 
Count Sclopis. 

Arbitrator on the part of Switzerland — Mr. Jacob 
Stamplli. 

Arbitrator on the part of Brazil — Baron D'ltajuba. 

Agent on the part of the United States — J. C. Bancroft 
Davis. 







THE GREAT CORLISS ENaiNE, STARTED T.Y GENKUAL GRANT. 

(203) 



204 LIFE OF GEKERAL GRANT. 

Agent on the part of Great Britain — Right Honorable 
Lord Tenterden. 

Counsel for the United States — Caleb Cashing, William 
M, Evarts, Morrison R. Waite. 

Counsel for Great Britain —Sir Roundell Palmer. 

Solicitor for the United States — Charles C. Beaman, Jr. 

During 1873 occurred the Cuban Rebellion. The 
steamship Virffinius, flying the United States flag, was 
suspected of carrying men and supplies to the insurgent 
Cubans, was captured by a Spanish cruiser off the coast 
of Cuba, taken into port, and many of her passengers, 
her captain and some of her crew, were publicly shot by 
the local military authorities. Of course the affair pro- 




MAIN BUILDING OF THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 

duced intense excitement in the United States, and for a 
time war between Spain and the United States seemed 
inevitable. But wisdom prevailed in the councils of the 
nation. Through the efforts of General Grant the war 
was prevented, and the difficulty amicably settled. 

In 1876 the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia 
took place. When everything was ready General Grant 
opened the valve through which the steam was to pass 
which was to set the gigantic Corliss engine and there- 
fore all tlie machinery in connection in motion. Dom 
Pedro, Emperor of Brazil, stood beside him at the time. 
He closed his term of service honored by the people whom 



A8 IMIESIDENT. 



205 



he liad so faithfully served. We use the word faithfully 
advisedly. We do not mean that there were no mistakes, 
no errors of judgment, but simply that in every act 
he acted conscientiously and upon honor. Many of his 
friends were anxious that he should serve the country as 
President for the third term. To this Grant pleasantly 
but firmly refused, saying that to do so would be to estab- 
lish a bad precedent, and that it would be an unwise 
thing for both himself and country. 

A popular writer thus refers to General Grant and his 
abilities: 

" By common consent, 
General Grant to-day is 
one of the ablest rulers in 
the world. He is one of 
the few men that occasion- 
ally come to the surface, in 
spite of all adverse sur- 
roundings. The opinion of 
politicians and demagogues 
is one thing ; that of the 
world is another. (^,^3y com- 
mon consent, Grant stands 
among the great military 
captains of the earth. He 
won his way by his own 
sword. He built on no man's foundation, 
into no man's labor. The hour that connected his name with 
our armies was the blackest. Public confidence had well- 
nigh died out. No plan succeeded. Defeat and disaster 
attended our arms everywhere. Grant had no patron ; 
no great friend ; no one politically to lend him a helping 
hand ; no eminent relations to speak a good word for him. 
His manner did not win confidence, nor promise success. 




DOM PEDRO, 
EMPEROR OF BRAZIL. 



He entered 



206 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

He began at the foot and won his ascent by dogged 
obstinacy. Thousands would have left the army and 
cursed the ingratitude of Kepublics. But Grant knew 
that he had ability ; knew that the time would come when 
that ability would be needed and acknowledged. He 
fought more battles, commanded more men, took more 
spoils, gained more victories, captured more prisoners, in 
six years, than Napoleon did in twenty. 
^ - " Grant will live beside Washington. And when the 
animosity of political life shall be forgotten, and the great 
services he has rendered to his country in the field and 
in the cabinet shall be fully recognized, he will be an 
example to young men in all coming time. A young 
man without money, without a patron, with no opening, 
wholly unknown to fame, he has carved his name in 
imperishable letters on the facade of the Republic. His 
old commander at West Point, when Grant was a cadet, 
waited for his orders. The greatest generals of modern 
times were proud to have fought under him. He wrote 
dispatches on his saddle-cloth that all Europe waited in 
breathless silence to read, — disj)atches that rank with the 
ablest that Monk or Wellington ever penned ; granting 
to a fallen foe terms of surrender so honorable and so 
humane that the world wondered ; making for himself a 
name as well known to European courts as that of Fred- 
eric the Great, or Moltke. 

" He is one of the few men born to command. Cool, 
sagacious, clear-headed ; his few words, and those right to 
the ])oint, brought him to the front everywhere. From 
the moment he first apjDcared in the war, his views differed 
fr(jm those of all other generals. Halleck reproved him, 
and telegram after telegram followed him from the War 
Hepartment, censuring him for his mode of doing things. 
Committees, generals and secretaries opposed his plans. 



AS PRESIDENT. 207 

But self-reliant and defiant, lie pursued his own course. 
During the whole campaign, he called but one council oi 
war. In that council every officer but one opposed his 
plan. He carried out his own views, and won. His 
famous expression, 'I shall fight it out on this line,' 
was drawn out in consequence of an attempt in high 
quarters to make him change his j^lans. He was interfered 
with on every side. More than once he came up from 
his cam]) to protest against the perpetual annoyance. 
Once he said to Mr. Lincoln, 'If the oj^inion of these 
civil and military gentlemen is of so much importance, 
why did you not follow their advice before you called 
meV 

" That Grant has marked executive ability is proved by 
the fact that he is an able general. The elements that 
make a great general, make a great ruler. An army is a 
state, and a man who can rule that well, can rule a nation 
well. The history of military men in all ages proves this 
The great captains of the Old World have been the 
mightiest rulers. The most po2:>ular Presidents, from 
Washington to Grant, have been military Presidents. A 
thousand men can lead a column, make a brilliant dash, 
fight a battle, and win a victory. Not ten men out of 
that thousand can plan a campaign, move half a million 
Crf men, cover an area of a thousand miles, and make no 
mistake in a single movement. We had brilliant men, 
patriotic men, earnest men, but all were failures till Grant 
appeared, for none of them could plan a campaign. As 
Grant conducted his army, so he did his administration. 
Whether people liked it or not, in the Cabinet as in the 
field. Grant carried out his own plans. He was the head 
of the nation, as Washington was. Everywhere he took 
the initiatory steps, and assumed the responsibility. 
When he presented a matter to the Cabinet, he did so 



^08 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

with his own views, saying, ' Gentlemen, I propose to do 
so and so.' 

"On the Black Friday, when unscrupulous men came 
near ruining the whole country. General Grant walked 
quietly into the Treasury Buildino-, and gave a simple 
order, and moved on the conspirators, as his custom is. 
His courage and patriotism were tried during the short 
period he held the portfolio of the War Department. 
While lieutenant-general, a United States Senator rode 
with General Grant to New York. The Senator found 
the General of the army as familiar with finance as if he 
had made it the study of his life. He sketched a plan by 
which the great debt of our country could be managed, 
gradually reduced, and the business of the country not be 
harmed. That plan, hastily developed on the iron path- 
way, has been persistently adhered to, as the General 
would adhere to the plan of his campaign. 

" The self-reliance and individuality of Grant are 
among his marked characteristics. He has a plan in all 
that he does, and adheres to it with sullen obstinacy. 
When his plans for the campaign were completed, he 
presented them to the President. They included Sher- 
man's famous march to the sea. Grant was to remain in 
the Wilderness, keeping Lee busy. ' Do you understand 
the plan, Mr. President ? ' said the commanding general. 
'Perfectly. You are to stay here and hold the legs of 
the "Kebellion, while Sherman comes through to skin 'em.' 
When his vigorous campaign began to open in the West, 
Sherman offered his sword, and told Grant that he would 
not raise the question of rank. Grant's orders to St. 
Louis were not obeyed, and he went down to see what was 
the matter. Halleck reproved him. ' Pemove me at 
once, if I don't obey orders,' was the response. 

" His perfect knowledge of men is another trait of 



A8 rit ESI DENT. 209 

Grant's character. He seldom makes a mistake. Meade 
was a2Jpointed at his personal solicitation, and the praise 
that he bestowed upon that general and other associates in 
armies, was unstinted and manly. While he was in the 
Wilderness, an official of the War Department came down 
and spent some time in the camp. Grant took his 
measure at once, for he seemed to understand war better 
than the General. When this man applied for az" 
important commission under the government. Grant 
refused the appointment, and has been heartily hated 
by that gentleman ever since. 

" He is a thoroughly domestic man. His quiet, unos- 
tentatious style of life is in harmony with the genius of 
the great country over which he rules. At Washington, 
all the time not required by public service is spent in the 
bosom of his family. After office hours, the Presidei?t 
can be found in his elegant parlors, surrounded by his 
household. Mrs. Grant knows — what a great many 
wives do not know, but would be glad to know — where 
her husband spends his evenings. At Long Branch the 
Presidential cottage, unpretentious but attractive, is two 
miles away from the hotels. He is away from the noise, 
turmoil, and confusion of the public. Any one who 
wishes to make the President a social call, will find him 
at home any time after the drive is over. No letters of 
introduction are needed, for the President is accessible to 
every one. All who call will find him a quiet, genial, 
intelligent, unostentatious gentleman; a man of very 
decided opinions on matters and things in general, and 
quite able to express them when he desires so to do. His 
JDcrsonal recreations and pleasures are of his own type, 
and he knows how to enjoy them. He worships in the 
Methodist Church, and though not a communicant, he is 
an official member of the Church. He usually drives a 



210 LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 

pair of spanking bays in a high Englisli carriage, known 
as a dao-cart. He cakes his seat in church without 
parade, hstens with sharp attention, keeping his keen 
eyes on the preacher, seldom changing his position through 
the service." 

Let us end his civil career with the advice he gave the 
nation when he took leave of it. In his message he 
urged : 

1st. That the States should be required to furnish good 
common school education to all, and that the attendance 
of children should be compulsory. 

2d. No sectarian tenets should be taught in any school, 
and, after 1890, all persons that cannot read and write 
shall cease to be voters. 

3d. Church and State should be declared forever sepa- 
rate and distinct, while perfect freedom should be secured 
to all sects. 

4th. Laws should be enacted to return to sound cur- 
rency. 

Much is embraced in these few short sentences — they 
furnish the very foundation of a firm and prosperous 
state, and should be engraved on the heart of a nation. 

The Roman Senate when it wished to do honor to 
one of the benefactors of the nation, voted that he " de- 
serves well of his country.''^ It is high praise, and no man 
of any party could refuse to indorse this vote for General 
Grant. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



GENERAL GRANT LEAVES PHILADELPHIA ACROSS THE OCEAN 

WELCOME TO ENGLAND LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER 

LONDON PIERREPONT GIVES A RECEPTION THE FREEDOM 

OF THE CITY OF LONDON RECEPTION BY THE CORPORATION 

A VISIT TO THE QUEEN OFF FOR BELGIUM. 

On the 17th of May, 1877, ex-President Grant, with 
his wife and son Jesse, sailed for Europe, from Phila- 
delphia, in the American line steamship Indiana. His 
departure was made the occasion of a great partii^g 
demonstration, in which all classes of the community 
seemed to have taken a hearty and enthusiastic share. 




AMERICAN LINE STEAMER INDIANA. 



The steamer Twilight carried the ex-President, the late 
members of his Cabinet, with other distinguished persons, 
and the invited guests from this city, to the number 
altogether of about five hundred persons. The United 
States revenue cutter Hamilton bore Mrs. Grant, under 
the care of Mr. Cliilds, and a few other leading citizens of 

(211) 



812 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Philadelphia. Both steamers accompanied the "Indiana'* 
down the river as far as Newcastle, Del., some thirty miles 
from the city, where, with many " God speeds," and much 
cheering^ and blowing of steam-whistles, the honored 
guest and his family were, at half-past three, bid farev/eli 
and transferred to the steamer which was to carry them 
across the ocean. Before this occurred, however, a very 
interesting ceremony took place on board the " Twilight." 
Friends who had come to bid farewell to the General 
gathered in the ladies' cabin, where a private table had 
been spread. After having partaken of the refreshments, 
Mayor Stokley arose and offered as a toast '' The honored 
guest of to-day," and in a brief speech referred to the 
fact that their guest was about to depart on a long jour- 
ney. To this General Grant briefly responded. The 
reply was received with cheers. Shortly after this the 
General was transferred to the " Indiana," last good-byes 
were said and the steamer proceeded on her way to Eng- 
land. Previous to their departure a telegram was re- 
ceived from President Hayes and wife conveying to the 
General and Mrs. Grant their wishes for a prosperous 
journey and a safe return. To this the following reply 
was sent : 

j Steamer " Twilight," Delaware River. 

1 May 17th, 11a. m. 

President Hayes, Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C. : 

Mrs. Grant joins me in thanks to you and Mrs. Hayes for your 
kind wishes in your message received on board this boat after 
pusliing out from the wliarf. We unite in returning our cordial 
greetings and in expressing our best wishes for your health, happi- 
ness and success in your most responsible position. Hoping to 
return to my country to find it prosperous in business and with 
cordial feelings renewed between all sections, 

I am very truly yours, U. S. Grant. 

Although the General was very free in his conversation j 



TOUR AR0U:ND the world. 218 

there were certain subjects wliicli lie persistently avoided. 
One of these was American politics. 

As they drew near Queenstown, a heavy north-north- 
west gale, which had been predicted, met the steamer. 




ARRIVAL OF THE INDIANA AT QUEENSTOWN. 

which caused the sea to run very high. A deputation 
from Cork came alongside the Indiana in a steam-tug. 
Grant at that moment was leaning over the taffrail, 
quietly smoking his cigar ; upon his head he wore a plain 
black silk hat. When the deputation saw him, they gave 
him three rousing Irish cheers. They offered him the 
hospitalities of Queenstown, remarking that every village 
and hamlet in Ireland had resounded with the praises of 
his name, and would welcome him with all the warmth 
and candor characteristic of the Irish people. 

A little ex tempore reception was held in the captain's 
cabin, when the ex-President replied to the citizens of 
Queenstown, regretting that he could not then avail him- 
self of their hospitality, but promising to return to 



OJ4 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Ireland within a short time. His letters and cable 
dispatches were then delivered to him, the deputation 
withdrew, and the Indiana proceeded to Liver230ol; hearty 
cheers being exchanged between the two vessels as long as 
they were w^ithin hearing distance. 

There was a fair yachting breeze all the way uj) the 
Channel, the sun emerging occasionally and permitting a 
clear view of the Welsh coast. The Indiana reached 
Liverpool at half-past two, p. m., gaily dressed all over 
with flags. In honor of the arrival of the distinguished 
American, all the shipping in the Liverpool docks also 
exhibited a jDrofuse display of bunting, the flags of all 
nations waving along the seven miles of water-front, 
presenting a magnificent coup cFoeiL 

General Badeau, the United States Consul-General at 
London ; the Vice-Consul at Liverpool, representing Mr. 
Fairchild, and a number of prominent London and 
Liverpool merchants, doing business with the United 
States, went out in three tenders and met the steamer a 
short distance down the Mersey. As the Indiana neared 
the docks, General Grant was seen standing on the bridge 
with the captain, acknowledging the cheers of the immense 
crowds which lined the water-front and every pier and 
vessel along the river. 

General Grant and friends left the steamer in the tug, 
on which were the consuls and a few intimate friends. 
The Mayor of Liver]30ol, members of Common Council, a 
deputation of merchants, surrounded by an immense 
throng of people of both sexes, anxious to see the "great 
Yankee general," awaited the arrival of the tenders at 
tlie landing stage. As General Badeau's boat ran along- 
side the Custom House wharf, a tremendous, deafening 
clieer went up. The weather was truly delightful. A 
britrht sunshine brightened the appearance of the thous- 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



215 



ands of many-colored flags, and the smootli water in the 
river reflected the beaming rays. 

General Grant landed with Madame Badeau leaning 
on his arm, Mrs. Grant following with General Badean 
and her son, forming a most interesting group. As the 
party stepped on to the wharf, a cordon of police formed 
around them and the Mayor and Councilmen, as the 
thousands of people had begun to crush and crowd in 







SCENE ON THE MERSEY NEAR LIVERPOOL. 

their eagerness to get a sight of the visitors. Now the 

cheering from the crowd on shore was taken up by the 

passengers of the Indiana, who thus bade adieu to their 

famous fellow j)assenger. 

A speech welcoming the distinguished visitor was read 

by the Mayor, to which the General brietiy replied, after 

ivhich the official entertainment was carried out. 
14 • 



216 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The reception of General Grant in England was not | 
unlike the ovations which monarchs receive from other " 
nations. Everything and everybody seemed to be in the 
best possible spirits. There was nothing to mar the 
grandeur of the scene. General Grant w^as the hero of 
the hour, and every one seemed determined to make the 
visit one of international importance. The press were 
unanimous in sounding his praise. His career as a 
soldier and statesman was reviewed, and the record pro- 
nounced perfect. One of them declared that he was 
"worthy of every possible attention. His name is so 
closely interwoven with recent events in the history of 
the United States, that not only in America, but through- 
out Europe, he is entitled to respectful treatment in a 
degree which it is the lot of but very few to command. 
It urges, therefore, free and generous receptions every- 
where." 

When the Aldermen at Queenstown wished to present 
him with an address, some opposed the idea for the reason 
that Grant had declined to receive the address of the 
Irish nation. This act upon the part of General Grant 
provoked the ire of some of the members of the Catholic 
Church at that point ; and on the Sunday following his 
arrival, a parish priest preached a sermon against him 
because he had shown himself the persistent enemy of the 
Catholic Church. This solitary instance of bigotry which 
has been unduly magnified, would not in the least have 
interfered with the popular demonstration had he landed,, 
and a corporation address would have been presented. 

On the 30th of May, General Grant, accompanied by 
his wife, Mrs. Fairchild, General Badeau, Mr. Galloway, 
tlie American Consular Commissioner, and Mr. Crane, 
United States Consul at Manchester, left Liverpool en 
route for Manchester. As they passed along, immense 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 2X7 

crowds gathered at every station and loudly cheered them. 
All the stations were beautifully decorated, the American 
flag being everywhere prominent. 

At eleven o'clock they reached Manchester. They 
were received by the Mayor and Aldermen, and a very 
large assemblage of citizens, who manifested their enthu- 
siasm by continued cheering. Accompanied by these 
dignitaries, General Grant visited the Victories which 
have made Manchester famous, the new Town Assizes 
Court and the Royal Exchange. 

At the new Town *Hall the distinguished visitor was 
received by the Dean of Manchester, Mr. Birley, M. P. ; 
Jacob Bright, and the Mayors of Talford and Wigan. 
The address of the Mayor and Corporation was presented 
in the drawing-room. A congratulatory address was de- 
livered by Sir Joseph Heron. After General Grant had 
responded, lunch was served in the large banquet hall. 

On the following day the General departed for London, 
stopping at Leicester and Bedford on the way. 

At the terminus of the Midland Railway the travellers 
were given another enthusiastic welcome. They were 
met at this point by Minister Pierrepont, on behalf of the 
United States, and Lord Vernon. The entrance of the 
station was thronged with huge crowds which cheered 
loudly. There was no time for speech-making. General 
and Mrs. Grant and General Badeau entered the carriage 
of Mr. Pierrepont, and were driven thence to the residence 
of the American minister. 

On the 2d of June the General paid a visit to the 
Prince of Wales, and was invited to visit Epsom in com- 
pany with the heir-apparent. The invitation was ac- 
cepted, and his royal host discharged his duty as enter- 
tainer in a truly royal style. The visit was not a long 
one, but it v/as rich in pleasant entertainment. 



21 S 



LIFE OF GENERAL GEANT. 



On the evening of the 5th of June a grand reception 
was given by Hon. Edward Pierrei3ont, United States 
Minister to the Court of St. James. It was a magnificent 
afiair, and was in every way a grand success. 

Three days Later a visit was paid to the agricultural 
exhibition at Bath. Here he met with a cordial recep- 
tion. After this he dined with the Duke of Devonshire, 
at whose table he met about fifty members of the House 
of Lords and otiiers. Later he was given a reception at 
the residence of General Badeau. 

The freedom of the City of London was bestowed upon. 
General Grant upon the loth of June. This is no com • 
mon honor. The greatest heroes and the jDrcud-fist mon- 
archs have been reckoned among the " freemeno" Georgo 
ni., who always expressed a supreme contempt for ordi- 
nary matters and mortals, had to acknowledg(? that thf. 
City of London could bestow a franchise more vrluabh? 
than all the knighthoods and baubles of the crown. Sinct^ 
his day hundreds of men, whose works will ever be re- 
garded as the gems of history — statesmen, scientists, law- 
yers, merchants, princes, have been recorded in the grand 
old book, which is prized by the Corporation of London 
more than all the privileges and immunities granted by 
the government. George Peabody, the noble and benevo-^ 
lent American merchant, whose name is ever uttered by the 
poor of the English metropolis with affectionate reverence, 
was made a freeman. General Garibaldi, the liberator of 
Italy and the father of Italian unity, received the same 
])rivilege. The Shah of Persia, the Sultan of Turkey, the 
Czar of Russia, Prince Leopold of Belgium, Napoleon III., 
General Blucher and M. Thiers were also presented with 
the rights, privileges and immunities of the dwellers within 
" ye Bishopgate " and Temple Bar. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 219 

It has often been asked, What is the freedom of the 
City of London? It is simply this — a small slip of 
parchment, inscribed with the name and titles of the per- 
son to whom it is to be presented, guarantees to the holder 
and his children after him, forever, the right to live and 
trade within the city prescribed by St. Clements in the 
west, Bishopgate in the east, Pentonville on the north and 
the shores of the Thames on the south, without having to 
pay a tax on the goods as they are brought through the 
gates. It exempts them from naval and military service 
and toils and duties throughout the United Kingdom. It 
insures to his children the care of the Chamberlain, who, 
in case they are left orphans, takes charge of their property 
and administers it in their interest until they arrive at 
years of maturity. The parchment bears the seal and 
signature of the Lord Mayor and Chamberlain and is 
generally ornamented with libbon, and illuminated. It is 
always enclosed in a long, thin gold box, and is intended, 
of course, as an heirloom. 

When the Corporation have decided to confer the 
parchment upon any distinguished individual, he is noti- 
fied in the old-fashioned style by the City Chamberlain, 
whose missive begins, "You are hereby commanded to 
appear in the Common Hall," &c., naming the date when 
the City Fathers will be present. He is met in the 
Common Hall by the Mayor and Councillors. The City 
Chamberlain informs him that the city has decided to 
confer upon him the privileges of a free citizen, and 
makes an address, usually applaudatory of the special 
services or merits of the individual. The recipient signs 
his name in the Clerk's Book, and this official and the 
City Chamberlain then sign their names beneath as 
guarantors or "compurgators," becoming, according to 
the rule, responsible for his acts as a citizen. The recipi- 



•j-o LIFE OF GENERAL GRAKT. 

ent tlieii steps forward, the oath is administered by the 
Chamberlain, who demands that he shall be in all and 
every resj^ect, true and loyal to the interests of the city ; 
he shakes hands with the Mayor, Chamberlain, Clerk and 
Councillors, and the gold box is committed to his care. 
This is the method usually adopted toward all who are 
not within the category of royalty. 

Jealous of their power and prestige, and Avith the view of 
checking the arrogance of former kings and queens, the 
Corporation of London would not allow the crowned 
heads to pass beneath Temple Bar without permission. 
Whenever the royalty desired to enter the city the "gra- 
ciousness" came from the Lord Mayor. He would meet 
majesty with the keys of the city in his hand, and when 
he had unlocked the gates, in imagination, he led the way 
into town. Thus in presenting the freedom of the city to 
monarchs the Lord Mayor meets them in state at Temple 
Bar. The royal cortege, with an escort of the Horse 
Guards, usually leaves Buckingham Palace, passes into 
Trafalgar square, thence to Charing Cross, along the 
Strand to St. Clement's boundary, on the west side of 
Temple Bar. The Mayor, attended by the Chamberlain, 
advances to the carriage of the royal guest, makes a brief 
address and ofiers the keys of the city, which are simply 
touched and handed back. The Mayor returns to his 
state coach, and, preceded by a strong detatchment of 
police, passes down Fleet street, past Chancery lane and 
the principal courts to Farringdon, across Farringdon to 
Ludgate Hill, up Ludgate Hill to St. Paul's, passing 
round the cathedral to the south, thence to Cheapside, east- 
ward along Cheapside to King street and down King street 
to the Guildhall. The militia of the city and the sergeant- 
at-arms (mace bearer) receives the guest at the door, and he 
is received by llic peers and the company j^resent standing. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD 221 

The reception given by the Corporation of London to 
Oeneral Grant was a complete success. The event excited 
nnusiud interest even in cynical London. The day was 
unusually sunny and clear, being what many of the spec- 
tators called " Queen's weather." At an early hour the 
streets in the vicinity of the Guildhall were barricaded and 
all traffic prohibited that might interfere with the free ar- 
rival and departure of carriages through King street and 
the Old Jewry. Traffic was suspended east to the Bank 
of England, the Stock Exchange, Lombard street, and 
King William and Moorgate streets, and west as far as St, 
Martin's-le-Grand and St. Paul's, 

As Grant alighted he was met by a deputation of Lon- 
don Aldermen, arrayed in their gorgeous crimson robes 
and with the gold chains of office glittering in the sun- 
light. As he passed on into the corridor a company of the 
City Guards and Yeomen presented arms, and the crowd 
again gave a loud cheer. The distinguished party were 
then escorted nito the library. 

General Grant walked in a dignified and self-possessed 
manner toward the Lord Mayor's chair and took a seat to 
the left of the dais, amid the most cordial cheering. The 
City Chamberlain arose and read the formal address on 
behalf of the Mayor, tendering to the General the right 
hand of fellowship, and referring at length to the fact 
that he was the first President of the American Republic 
who had been elevated to the dignity of citizenship of the 
city of London. 

At the close of the Mayor's speech General Grant arose 
and l^riefly and appropriately thanked the Court for the 
distinguished honor, and then signed his name to the roll 
of honor, with the Clerk and Chamberlain as compurga- 
tors. The company then proceeded to the banqueting 
hall, where the Lord Mayor presided. 



22-2 LIFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 

The room was decorated with miniature English and 
American flags and the tables presented an interesting and 
artistic appearance. 

After the dejeuner the toastmaster, dressed in a gor- 
geous silk sash formed of stars and stripes, arose, and the 
bugle sounded. The first toast was "The Queen," the 
second was " The health of General Grant," which was 
received by the guests standing and amid great cheering. 
The Lord Mayor then said : 

" I, as Chief Magistrate of the City of London, and on the 
part of the Corporation, offer you as hearty a welcome as the sin- 
cerity of language can convey. Your presence here, as the late 
President of the United States, is specially gratifying to all 
classes of the community, and we feel that, although this is your 
first visit to England, it is not a stranger we greet, but a tried 
and honored friend. Twice occupying, as you did, the exalted 
position of President of the United States, and therefore one of 
the foremost representatives of that country, we confer honor 
upon ourselves by honoring you. Let me express both the 
hope and belief that when you take your departure you will feel 
that many true friends of yours personally, and also of your 
countrymen, have been left behind. I have the distinguished 
honor to propose your health. May you long live to enjoy the 
best of health and unqualified happiness." 

The gold casket, containing the freedom of the city, is 
in the cinque cento style, oblong, the corners mounted by 
American eagles and beautifully decorated. On the re- 
verse side is a view of the entrance to the Guildhall, and 
an appropriate inscription. At the ends are two figures, 
also in gold, finely modelled and chased, representing the 
city of London and the United States, and bearing their 
respective shields, the latter executed in rich enamel. 
At the corners are double columns laurel wreathed with 
coi-n and cotton, and on the cover a cornucopia, emblem- 
atic of the fertility and prosperity of the United States. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 223 

The rose, shamrock and thistle are also introduced. The 
cover is surmounted by the arms of the city of London. 
The casket is supported by American eagles, modelled 
and chased in gold, the whole standing on a velvet plinth 
decorated with stars and stripes. 

General Grant's reply was made with deep emotion, 
and was simply to return his thanks for the unexpected 
honor paid him, and his desire to say much more for their 
brilliant reception than he could express. 

In the evening of the following day, the 18th, he was 
the guest of the Reform Club. 

The dinner itself was among the finest ever given in 
London, the cuisine of this association of Liberal gentle- 
men being celebrated all over the world, and free from all 
danger of its chef ever being called on to fight for his 
reputation in the courts, as the Napoleon of the soup tureen 
who composes banquets for a rival club was obliged to do 
of late. The table was a picture in itself, not to speak of 
the good things between the top and bottom of the menu. 

Earl Granville, as soon as the cloth was removed, pro- 
posed the health of Her Majesty the Queen. To this the 
Right Hon. WiUiam E. Foster responded in a singularly 
eloquent speech. In the course of his remarks he re- 
ferred to the great service of General Grant in the cause 
of human freedom. He dwelt with particular emphasis 
upon the importance to civilization of the cultivation of 
amicable relations between the two great countries, Eng- 
land and the United States. With great felicity he 
pictured the results of such a state of friendliness, and 
elicited continued cheering. 

In replying General Grant said : " I am overwhelmed 
with the kindness shown by Englishmen to me and ex- 
pressed to America." He spoke under the pressure 
of unwonted feeling and with unusual eloquence. 



224 



LIFE OF GEXERAL GRANT. 



The gathering was a j^leasant one, and served to cement 
the two countries represented more closely together. 

An event of great importance occurred on Tuesday, 
June 26th. It was nothing less than the visit of General 
Grant and suite to the Queen. They left London by the 
five P. M. from Paddington, and arrived at Windsor at 
thirty-five minutes past five. The train on which they 
left was in charge of a special superintendent, and the 
journey w^as through the lovely scenery of Middlesex, 
Surrey and Berks. The guests arrived before the expected 
hour, and consequently Sir Thomas Biddulph, who had 
been delegated to receive them, was not at the station, and 
therefore their arrival was unceremonious. 




GREEN PARK. 



When they arrived at the castle, they found that Her 
Majesty and Princess Beatrice were out riding in the 
Green Park, they not expecting their guests until a latei 



TOUll AROUND TTTE WOULD. 225 

hour. General Grant did not express any disappoint- 
ment, but seemed desirous of utilizing the time he would 
have to wait by examining the grand pile of buildings, 
especially the first fortress of the group, which was built 
by William the Conquerer. After waiting a few minutes, 
the party entered the celebrated Lancaster Tower and 
repaired to the apartments where they were to await the 
return of the Queen. While so waiting, they amused 
themselves with descriptions of the lovely views from the 
windows of the tower. It was a view replete with beauty 
and variety. Away to the west was the silvery-looking 
Thames, winding through the level country far away. 
At half-past eight the Queen, surrounded by the members 
of the household, received the Americans in the magnifi- 
cent corridor at the door leading to her private apartments 
in the quadrangle. This quadrangle is formed by the 
state apartments- on the north, by the historic Round 
Tower on the west, and the private apartments of the 
Queen and of the royal household on the south and east. 
At the west end of the square stands the equestrian statue 
oi' the martyr King Charles I., who was executed in 1649. 
T'his was the gift of an old servant to the crown at Hamp- 
Um Court. The pedestal of this statue is a perfect marvel 
of the sculptor's art. On the north, west and south sides 
are fish, implements of commerce, fruits and arms in basso 
relievo by the celebrated Gibbon. The statue and horse 
have for years been the butt of carping critics. The mag- 
nificent 'gateway of the quadrangle, leading direct from 
the Long Walk, is one of the principal features, the arch- 
way being some twenty-four feet high, and is surmounted 
by machiolated embrasures and apartments for gatekeepers 
and attendants. At the eastern corner stands York Tower, 
on the west the Lancaster Tourer, which corresjDonds to 
the York Tower. The tower in honor of the House of 



226 LIFE OF GENERAL GKANT. 

Lancaster was built by George IV., in 1824, from, plans 
by Jeffery Wyatville. The principal entrance to the state 
apartments is directly opposite to this gateway. A small 
clock house surmounts the tower at the entrance to the 
corridor. Above the base of the arch, under which the 
carriages pass to the door, is a fine, richly ornamented 
apartment, (lighted by tall Gothic windows, and contain- 
ing luxuriously canopied niches, containing figures of the 
Black Prince and Edward III.,) which forms a communi- 
cation with the front rooms, reserved for state receptions. 
At the northeast corner of the courtyard is the small 
tower, beneath which the visitors approached Her Majesty 
in the corridor. This double corridor is 520 feet long, and 
extends around the south and east sides of the quadrangle. 
In rough weather it is used as a promenade. Entrance 
to the principal rooms is had through folding doors. The 
ceiling, which is very lofty, is divided into large squares, 
the centres bearing a variety of ornamental and beautifully 
gilded devices, representing numerous epochs and events 
known to ancient, modern and biblical history. The pri- 
vate entrance used by the Queen is at the southeast angle, 
a grand structure standing about thirty feet from the face 
of the main building, forming a portico flanked by octan- 
gular towers. In a panel in the centre, between the 
battlements, are sculptured the royal arms in bas-relief 
by the renowned Kosi. Above the portico is the Oak 
Room, so called from the extravagant oak wainscoting and 
the delightful color of the walls and ceiling. This is used 
as a morning or breakfast room. Three immense arched 
windows command a view of the entire quadrangle. The 
entrance is truly magnificent, being triangular, with stone 
facing, ornamented , with canopied niches, highly sculp- 
tured, communicating with the corridor by a landing, 
above which is a huge, elaborately embellished lantern. 



TUUll AKOUNl) THE WORLD. 2:^7 

A despatch was handed to General Grant, and was 
shown to the Queen while at dinner. It read thus : 

" YouT comrades, in annual encampment assembled at Provi- 
dence, E,. I., send heartiest greetings to their old commander, and 
desire through England's Queen to thank England for Grant's 
reception." 

Most of the ladies were dressed in black with white 
trimmings, owing to the deaths recently of the Queen of 
Holland and the Duke of Hesse Darmstadt. The Queen 
was attired in a similar style, but her toilet comprised a 
very magniticent array of diamonds. After dinner the 
Queen's party proceeded to the corridor for the purj)ose of 
enabling the visitors to examine it more closely. Here 
they met another party from the Octagon and a lively 
conversation ensued, during which Her Majesty talked 
with every person present. About ten o'clock Her Majesty 
shook hands with her lady guests, bowed to the gentlemen 
.and retired, followed by other members of the royal family. 
On the following morning General and Mrs. Grant 
were driven in the Great Park in a carriage usually used 
by the Queen at half-past ten. He, with Americauh, 
accompanied by Mr. Ward Hunt, First Lord of the Ad- 
miralty, and Colonel Gardiner, went to the station and 
took the train for Bishop's road (Paddington). 

In the evening a state concert was given at Buckingham 
Palace. General Grant and Mrs. Grant, the Emperor and 
Empress of Brazil, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the 
Duke and Duchess of Teck, Prince Christian and the 
Princess Helena, the Princess Louise and the Marquis of 
Lome, and the Duke of Cambridge, were present. 

Having, for the time being, fulfilled all his engage- 
ments in Endand, he started for the Continent July otli. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ARRIVAL AT BRUSSELS — LUZERNE, SWITZERLAND — GENEVA 

THE MER DE GLACE EDINBURGH TAY BRIDGE AT 

THE HOME OF SIR WALTER SCOTT — GLASGOW BRIGHTON 

— PARIS " PALAIS d' INDUSTRIE "' m'mAHON GIVES A 

DINNER — GRANT AT THE TOMB OF THIERS — THE MACKEY 
DINNER AND RECEPTION. 

General Grant and his companions readied Brussels, 
the capital of Belgium, at about six o'clock in the evening 
of the 6th of July, and at once proceeded to the Bellevue 
Hotel. No official reception was given them, as the Gen- 
eral desired to travel for a time incognito. 

Shortly after his arrival, however, an aide-de-camp of 
King Leopold visited the General, bearing from his royal 
master an invitation to dinner, and placed at the disposal 
of his visitor his aides and carriage of state. 

In the evening following his arrival, General Grant 
dined with Mr. Sandford, ex-Minister of the United 
States. Several Belgian functionaries occuj)ied seats at 
the table. 

On the following day the ex-President and his suite 
visited the Hotel de Ville, where the Burgomaster did the 
honors of the Communal Palace. The General perused 
with much interest the details of the telegraph and water 
supply. 

On the 8th, General Grant was visited by King Leo- 
pold, which being entirely out of the usual course, is con- 

(2ii8) 



TOUR AKOUNJD THE WORLD. 2:^9 

sidered as being a great honor. Later in the day, General 
and Mrs. Grant paid a visit to the King and Queen. A 
gala dinner was given at the palace in the evening, and 
quite a distinguished company sat down to the table. All 
the high officials of the State and the foreign Ministers 
were present. King Leopold took Mrs. Grant to dinner, 
and the ex-President had the honor of escorting the 
Queen. 

On the following morning all the foreign ministers in 
Brussels called upon the General. Throughout his stay 
in the Belgian capital, he was treated with the greatest 
distinction. 

On Saturday, the 14th, a grand reception was given 
at the Gesellschaftshaus of the Zoological Garden, the 
Chief Burgomaster joresenting the guests. A grand con- 
cert was afterwards given, which was attended by several 
thousands of persons. Stassy's famous band and the 
musicians of the Thirteenth Hussars were engaged for the 
occasion. 

The next day General Grant and his party left Frank- 
fort for Lucerne, Switzerland. A brief stop was made at 
this point, and then they passed on to Interlaken. The 
scenery at this point is exceedingly beautiful, and General 
Grant made several excursions into the surrounding 
country for the purpose of beholding its splendor. 

On the 24th the party arrived at Berne, and on the 
following day were received by the President of the Swiss 
Confederation. On the 27th they proceeded to Geneva to 
attend the laying of the corner stone of a new American 
Protestant Church in that city. Large crowds were pre- 
sent and hundreds of American flags were displayed from 
the windows of citizens' houses. 

On Monday, the 30th, General Grant was received by 
the President of the Cantonal Council of Geneva, and in- 



230 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

sjDected the Town Hall, where the Joint High Commission 
sat during the arbitration of the Alabama claims. The 
General expressed his gratification at the happy visit to a 
spot consecrated by the amicable settlement of difficulties 
between two powerful nations. He said he was especially 
glad that the adjustment of these international difficulties 
occurred in a republic. 

On Tuesday the General went to Chamouni. On his 
departure from Geneva, a salute of artillery was fired in 
his honor, and the city was illuminated. At Pierre Pointue, 
on Mont Blanc, a number of Swiss bands gave him a 
grand serenade, and on Wednesday he visited the Mer 
de Glace and Montanvert. 

The Mer de Glace seems to be the gorgeous result of 
three great glaciers, all discharging their frozen contents 
into one immense basin. The three are the Glacier du 
Lechand, from the Jorasses ; the Glacier du Tacul, whose 
long, unbroken surface seems to fall from the summit of 
Mont Blanc ; and the Glacier du Talefre, which is a suc- 
cession of beautiful Avhite pyramids that descend from the 
sparkling heights around. The Tacul, from its line of descent 
and great breadth, is the most important of the three, and 
gives the others a supplemental apjDcarance, when viewed 
apart. It is after they have completely united, however, 
that the grandeur may have fairly said to have begun. The 
point of union, from the mighty force of the ojiposite 
powers, each pressing against the other, causes a desolate 
display of confusion — an immense caldron of ice, in which 
huge masses of rock are split and scattered about like 
grains of coffee in a hand-mill. 

When General Grant left Geneva, he departed by way 
of Simplon for the north Italian lakes. A brief stay in 
this picturesque region, and he and his party returned by 
way of Splugen Pass to Bagatz, at which latter point he 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 231 

met his brother-in-law, M. J. Cramer, American Minister 
to Denmark. A few days spent here, and he departed 
for Palanza, on Lake Maggiore, where he arrived Sunday, 
August 5th. A few days later he visited Bellagio, where 
a grand fete was given in his honor. Several American 
residents in Rome sent congratulations to the ex-Presi- 
dent. The evening following his arrival he was serenaded 
at his hotel, after which a concert was given in his honor, 
followed by a display of fireworks. Addresses were made 
by the Mayor and an officer who had served under General 
Garibaldi. General Grant in his reply referred to the 
exceeding hospitality he had received, praised the general 
•conduct of the people so far as he had seen them, expressed 
his dehght at the grand and lovely scenes that had met 
his eye at every turn since he had crossed the Alps, and 
<;oncluded by saying : " There is one Italian whose hand 
I wish especially to shake, a^nd that man is General Gari- 
baldi." This allusion was greeted with great applause. 

After enjoying several days' visit, General Grant and 
his party set out on their return to Edinburgh. A special 
Pullman car was chartered for the purpose, and was placed 
in charge of Mr. Roberts, the Pullman agent in London. 

All along the route great enthusiasm was manifested. 
The reception given to General Grant as each station was 
reached was whole-souled and fully-meant hospitality. 
It seemed as though the people knew him perfectly — his 
face as well as his history — for they recognized him every- 
where and demanded as much handshaking as could be 
■done in the limited time allowed by the train time. Cheers 
and hurrahs always speeded him on his way. 

Soon after their arrival in Edinburgh, the freedom of 

the city was presented to General Grant by Lord Provost 

Sir James Fanshaw, in Free Assembly Hall. It was a 

.grand affair, not only in fact but in its significance. It 
15 



232 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



was hearty and whole-souled. Everything of the grandeur 
that surrounded the scene was meant. It was rather 
amusing to note, however, that General Grant did not give 
them a chance to speak. Eighteen hundred people, the 
highest toned of Edinburgh, were there — no boys or girls, 
but the heads of families — with tickets of admission sent 
to them out of six thousand apiDlications. The city digni- 
taries in robes, the soldiers in kilts, the insigna of office 
dotting the place, and the gravity of the ceremony re- 
minded one of the Queen's visit to the House of Lords. 
That speeches were, as we say, *' Fired off," till, with a 
wave of the hand, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh deliv- 
ered the silver casket — big enough for a sarcophagus — to 




A FORTIFICATION NEAR EDIiNBURGII 



the " Soldier, President, fellow Scot." Then came cheers, 
and the collision of applauding hands shook the Gothic 
structure from base to roof. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORL]:). 233 

In reply to the Lord Provost's speed), General Grant 
spoke just three-quarters of a minute. Then it was sud- 
denly discovered that the ceremony of half an hour was 
finished, and a dozen brawny Scots of the first families in 
the realm went home with a dozen written or thought-out 
speeches unspoken. Said a disappointed Scot : " He 
made no speech." " Nau, mon, but he kippit a deal o' 
thinkin'." Then came shaking of hands, and the Gen- 
eral had to reach for them in every direction. One man 
— it was so funny, and the General was puzzling over the 
meaning afterwards — said : " Gineral, I'm glod to see ye. 
I'm a Scotchman, but me fayther and mither are baith bir- 
ried in America." Several such strange episodes occurred. 

After this reception General Grant visited the famous 
Tay bridge, then nearing completion. He also visited 
the training ship for boys, which was moored near the 
bridge. Dundee, Melrose and Abbotsford came in for 
visits also, the General and his companions receiving 
marked attention and honor everywhere. 

On the loth of September, 1877, General Grant was 
honored with the freedom of the city of Glasgow, The 
parchment was contained in a gold casket. The cere- 
mony was witnessed by a large crowd, and the General 
was enthusiastically cheered. A banquet in his honor 
was given in the evening, but was of a private character. 

A few days later he paid a visit to Brighton, and was 
the guest of Commodore Ashbury, the well-known yacht- 
man. After an interesting visit he returned to London 
and began preparation for his departure for Paris. 

On the 24th of October, accompanied by his wife and 
son, General Grant left London for Paris. On the arrival 
of the party at the railway station in Charing Cross, 
to take the train for Folkestone, he was greeted by a 
large crowd cf Americans and Englishmen, who gave 



234 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



him {I liearty cheer as he stepped out of his carriage. Sir 
Edward Watkin, the Chairman of the Southeastern Rail- 
way Company, w^as in attendance, and a special train was 
in waiting to convey the distinguished party. 




TRAFALGAR SQUARE. 



The large space in front of the hotel and station ex- 
tending through the gates in the direction of Trafalgar 
square was filled with vehicles and j^edestrians. After 
considerable hand shaking in the waiting room and lively 
greetings on the platform Sir Edward Watkin and his 
guests boarded the train, wdiich moved off precisely at ten 
o'clock. 

After a pleasant run of one hour and forty-five min- 
utes the train arrived at Folkstone. General Grant was 
met by the Mayor of the town, accompanied by members 
of the Common Cauncil. About two thousand of the in- 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 235 

habitants of the old Kentish town welcomed tlie ex-Presi- 
dent with loud cheers. This crowd lined the wharves and 
raised cheer after cheer as he descended from the train. 

The General at once went on board the special yacht 
Victoria, accompanied by the New Yorh Herald corres- 
pondent, Sergeant Gazelee and one or two other officials, 
these being the only guests. As the trim looking yacht 
with the American flag flying at the fore, left the chalk 
cliffs of Old England, the General stood upon the bridge 
and waved his hat responsive to the cheers and adieux from 
the shore. 

The sea w^as calm, with only a gentle swell, and a flne 
summer yachting breeze prevailed. The General paced 
the deck, enjoying his cigar and studying the interesting 
points and scenery along the majestic cliff's on the south- 
eastern coast, where William the Conqueror landed and 
fought the battle of Hastings. On nearing the French 
coast he beheld the sunny hills and shores of the memor- 
able site of Napoleon's Boulogne camp, wdiere the Austerlitz 
army so long prepared for the invasion of England. 

The Victoria arrived at the Boulogne wharf at 
about two o'clock. A large crowd of Frenchmen, wdio 
had been advised of the arrival of the grand guerrier Anur- 
icain, was in attendance and received the guests with a 
hearty greeting. On entering the special train the sub- 
l.-^refect of the Department met and was introduced to the 
(xeneral. In the name of the Marshal-President and of 
the French people, he welcomed him to the shores of France. 

The General expressed his warm acknowledgments, 
saying he had long cherished the wish to visit France, and 
he was delighted with the present opportunity. M. 
Hoguet-Grandsire, the Senator representing the Depart- 
ment of the Pas de Calais, also bade him welcome in a 
brief address, full of sympathy and kindly feeling. 



236 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

A long conversation now ensued between General 
Grant and the Senator, the latter speaking at considerable 
length on the curious and interesting phases of French 
politics. General Grant listened attentively, but making 
no response beyond asking how the dej^artment had voted 
in the late elections. 

After a long delay, somewhat in contrast to the j)rompt- 
ness of the English railroads, the trains started for Paris. 
On the way the General studied closely the scenery of the 
lovely country along the route, noted the principal indus- 
trial sections and especially observed the wonderful agri- 
cultural resources of the country. 

General Grant spoke a great deal about the financial 
policy at home, declaring emj^hatically on the silver 
question, saying he was bitterly oj^posed to the demone- 
tization scheme, which was only another phase of repu- 
diation. He next talked about the war, the relations of 
the United States with Mexico, and St. Domingo. 

He said his reception in England had been unvarying 
in warmth, and as to the hospitality of the people there, 
nothing could be more kind, considerate and gracious. 
Everywhere he had experienced, both in official and pri- 
vate circles, courtesy and respect. 

At Amiens General Grant quietly partook of a dish 
of consoinme. As the train neared Paris, the moon rose, 
and the General curiously studied the prominent features 
of the great French capital. They reached the station at 
a quarter to eight o'clock. Generals Noyes and Torbert 
entered the car, accompanied by the Marquis d'Abzac, 
first aide-de-camp of the Marshal-President, the official 
wliose duty it was to introduce ambassadors. 

In the name of the President of the French Republic 
the aide-de-camp tendered General Grant a cordial wel- 
come. In rei)ly the General thanked the Marshal, saving 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 237 

he anticipated great pleasure and interest from his visit to 
Prance. Generals Noyes and Torbert greeted him warm- 
ly. The party had borne the journey splendidly, none of 
them showing the least fatigue. 

Among the Americans awaiting the arrival of General 
Grant at the station in the company of the Minister were 
General Meredith Head, from Greece ; ex-Minister Part- 
ridge, Admiral Worden, the bankers Seligman, Winthrop 
and Dr. Johnson, Dr. Warren and the representatives of 
the leading New York journals. 

A richly carpeted salon was prepared at the station for 
the reception of the distinguished party. The ladies of 
the party, conducted by General Torbert, passed through 
this salon on their way to the carriages. A splendid bou- 
quet was presented to Mrs. Grant by a French journalist 
on the way. General Grant followed, leaning on the arm 
of Minister Noyes. As soon as he appeared in the crowded 
salon several rounds of hearty cheers were given and a 
number of people were presented to him. 

The party then entered carriages, in company with 
General Noyes and the Marshal's aid-de-camp and intro- 
ducer of ambassadors. They drove to the Hotel Bristol, 
where a handsome suite of rooms had been engaged for 
them. After a quiet dinner General Grant smoked a cigar 
and retired early. 

In anticipation of this visit. Marshal McMahon had 
delayed appointing the time for a grand dinner at the 
Elysee. 

The morning of the 25th opened dismally. Rain fell 
in torrents, and there seemed no prospect of cessation. 
During the morning General Grant called upon his bank- 
ers, Messrs. Drexel, Harjes & Co., 31 Boulevard Hauss- 
mann. Upon his return a multitude of visitors, including 
diplomatists, ambassadors and Americans, began to arrive 





.'38 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 239 

and continued to come until noon. The most eminent 
men of France were among the callers. At two o'clock 
General Grant, Mrs. Grant and Jesse Grant, with Minister 
Xoyes and the Secretary of Legation, drove to the Elysee 
through a pouring rain. President McMahon, the Duchess 
of Magenta and the Duke Decazes received the General 
most cordially. The Duchess did everything in her power 
to render the occasion agreeable. General Grant wore 
plain evening dress, calling upon the official head of the 
people simply as any American citizen, properly intro- 
duced, might. President McMahon said that he was 
truly glad to welcome so eminent a soldier and citizen to 
France. In brief, the ex-President of the United States 
replied that the opportunity of expressing to the Chief 
Magistrate of France, the friendly sentiments entertained 
throughout the length and breadth of America toward 
the French people was equally pleasing to him. The in- 
terview was entirely informal and exceedingly cordial. 
President McMahon extended and General Grant accepted 
an invitation to dine at the Elysee, on Thursday, when 
the party re-entered their carriage and reached the Hotel 
Bristol about three. 

At four o'clock the committee of resident Americans, 
composed of Consul General Torbet, Dr. T. W. Evans, 
bankers Seligman, Munroe and Winthroy, Dr. Johnson, 
Mr. John J. Kyan and the Pev. Dr. Hitchcock called to 
invite General Grant and family to a grand banquet in his 
honor by the American residents of Paris, upon any date 
that the General might see fit to appoint. General Grant 
named Thursday, November 6, thanking the committee 
for the honor conferred upon him by his own countrymen 
in a foreign land. Much agreeable conversation followed. 
In the evening General Grant accomjDauied by a personal 
friend took a long walk around the Tuileries, Palais Koyal, 
Place de la Concord, and the boulevards for two hours. 



240 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

On the next day he visited the studio of Mr. Healy, 
the American artist, and gave a sitting for a portrait. He 
afterwards strolled about Montmartre and climbed the hill, 
which affords a fine view of Paris, and the General 
expressed his admiration of the magnificent scene. After 
enjoying himself for some hours, he returned to his hotel, 
and in the evening was honored by visits from several dis- 
tinguished persons. Among the visitors were the Comte 
de Paris, head of the Orleans family, and the Duchess of 
Magenta, wife of the Marshal-President of the Republic. 

Among the many fetes given in honor of General and 
Mrs. Grant, in Paris, the most brilliant was the official 
banquet and reception given them by the United States 
minister Noyes. The banquet was a superb effort of 
Parisian culinary skill, which can work such gastronomic 
wonders when given carte blanche, and when there is a 
cellar of Monte Christo to draw upon. It was regretted 
on every hand that Marshal McMahon was not present at 
dinner. He had been invited but declined on the ground 
of having recently refused to be present at several diplo- 
matic dinners, particularly that given by the Russian 
Ambassador. He promised, however, to attend the recep- 
tion in the evening. 

Several representatives of the French press called 
upon him, but found him very reticent. He declined to 
express an opinion concerning the political situation in 
America, but stated that his first impression of France 
was, that it wore a prosperous, well-ordered and happy 
aspect. 

The banquet passed off without any special incident 
worthy of note. That charming flow of polite and witty 
or at least pleasantly pointed conversation which character- 
izes French dinners kept time to the melody of the repast 
itself There was no English reserve to be thawed. The 



TOUR AEOUXD THE WORLD. 241 

French and Americans fraternize without difficulty, and 
hence they make the best neighbors around the snowy 
damask. 

At about nine o'clock the general reception began. A 
heavy rain had been falling all the afternoon and evening, 
the meteoric visitation being a remnant of the storm which 
had been previously predicted. It of course had no deter- 
rent effect on the invited, although it gave a dreariness to 
the streets without, which, out of the selfishness of human 
nature, imparted an additional air of warmth to the spa- 
cious and splendid apartments of General Noyes. It was 
not long before the salons were filled with guests. Out in 
the rain a long line of carriages extended far up the 
Avenue Josephine toward the Arc de Triomphe. The 
police arrangements were, as usual in Paris, and above all 
where the Prefect dines and the Marshal-President visits, 
perfect. The guests were received by General Grant, 
Mrs. Grant and their son, General and Mrs. Noyes, Con- 
sul General Torbert and Secretary Vignaux making the 
introductions. 

Mrs. Grant was dressed in a costume of heavy white 
satin, Mrs. Noyes appearing in a similar dress. General 
Grant and Minister Noyes wore plain evening dress, Gen- 
-eral Torbert, however, ajipearing in the uniform of a 
major general. The rooms as the guests arrived became 
perfect gardens of lively colors. Brilliant uniforms, diplo- 
matic orders and decorations mingling with the sheen of 
silks and satins made up a wonderful picture. 

Marshal McMahon arrived early. He wore a plain 
evening dress with the ribbon of the Legion and a breast 
covered with orders. He seemed in excellent health and 
spirits, not showing the slightest trace of the long parlia- 
mentary struggle he had been engaged in. 

The Marshal stood for nearly an hour beside General 



242 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Grant, occasionally joining in the conversation and re- 
ceiving the congratulations of the members of the diplomatic 
corps and the numerous brilliantly uniformed officials who 
thronged the apartments. As the two renowned soldiers 
stood side by side, one could not help contrasting them. 
Marshal McMahon's ruddy, honest Celtic face, white mus- 
tache and white hair recalled the poet's figure of " a rose 
in snow." Grant, calm, massive and reserved, wore the 
same imperturbable face so well-known at home. McMa- 
hon seemed all nerve and restlessness ; Grant looked all 
patience and repose. The contrast in person was indeed 
remarkable, although each had come to the Presidency of 
a powerful republic over the same red road. The passion 
of arms commanding two great nations, had led each to 
choose its foremost soldier as Executive head. One hfks 
laid down his power at the feet of the people who conferred 
it, and the march of events would doubtless so serve the 
other. Meantime two great warlike careers touched in 
friendship in the parlors of General Noj^es. 

On the next day he visited the Palais d'Industrie and 
the works where the magnificent statue of " Liberty " 
for New York harbor was being constructed. He was 
received there by the Marquis de Rochambeau, the Mar- 
quis de Lafayette, M. Laboulaye, and other friends of 
America. The sculptor, M. Bartholdi, presented him 
with a miniature model of the statue. The General 
several times expressed his satisfaction at the work. Li 
the evening he attended the opera, where he was well 
received by the audience, and treated with great respect 
by the officials. 

On Thursday, November 1st, President McMahon 
gave a grand dinner to General Grant at the Elysee,. 
where many distinguished persons were present. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 243 

During the day, the General visited Mnie. Thiers, and 
presented her with a crown of flowers for her husband's 
grave. A visit was also made to the Palais du Corps 
Legislatif. Two days later he visited the Parisian ceme- 
teries and spent some time in examining them. He was 
greatly struck with the exquisite taste displayed in deco- 
rating the graves, and as the day was the "Jour des 
Mortes," he had an opportunity of seeing the Parisians 
in one of their best moods. On that day business and 
politics are forgotten, and thousands of citizens, clad in 
holiday attire, throng the cemeteries to strew flowers on 
the graves of departed relatives and friends. The heart 
of many a rabid foe of "clericalism," too, is softened on 
that day, and heartfelt prayers are offered for the souls of 
the "faithful" dead ones. 

On the evening of November 6th, a banquet was given 
in honor of General Grant by the American residents of 
Paris. It was a splendid affair. It began at eight 
o'clock, and the guests, to the number of three hundred 
and fifty, filled seven tables. 

The banqueting hall was splendidly decorated a«nd 
illuminated. The Franco- American Union contributed a 
portrait of General Grant, which, adorned w' ith flags, was 
hung over the principal table. A band stationed in the 
gallery played at intervals, and vocal music was given by 
a chorus furnished by the director of the Italian Opera. 
General Grant, Minister Noyes and General Torbet were 
in full uniform. Toasts to the Presidents of the United 
States and of the French Republic were responded to by 
music onl}^ Then came the toast of the evening, " Our 
guest, General Grant," which was offered by Mr. Noyes 
in a brilliant speech and responded to by the General, 
after which, in the drawing-room, an entertainment of 
rare delight was enjoyed. 



244 LIFE OF GENERAL GEANT. 

Oil the 15tli he visited the tomb of Thiers, and placed 
upon it a beautiful wreath of immortelles. On the 19th 
he visited, in company with his wife, the chocolate man- 
ufactory of M. Menier, the radical republican deputy 
from the arrondisseinent of Meaux, at Noisiel. They 
were entertained with a splendid lunch at the chateau. 
On the 21st he called upon Prince Oi'loff, the Russian 
ambassador, and passed three-quarters of an hour in con- 
versation with him, the prince doing the greater part of 
the talking. Later in the day he attended a fete, con- 
sisting of dinner and ball, given by Mrs. Mackey, wife 
of Bonanza Mackey, at her splendid mansion in Rue 
Tilsit. It was the great sensational event of the season, 
and for the time being overshadowed in importance, as 
far as the American colony and fashionable society were 
concerned, the existing political crisis. 

There were covers for twenty-four, and the guests were 
General Grant and familj^ and the members of the 
American Legation and Consulate and their families. 
There were no unofficial Americans present at the dinner. 
The menu was inscribed on small silver tahlettes, as in 
the case of the famous dinner to Senator Sharon at San 
Francisco. After the dinner a grand reception and ball 
took place, at which three hundred guests were present. 
Among the guests were the Marquis de Lafayette, MM. 
de Rochambeau and other distinguished guests. 

The American colony was largely represented, and the 
number of beautiful women was very remarkable. The 
hidies' costumes displayed extraordinary taste, elegance 
and richness. The dancing commenced early and con- 
tinued till four o'clock in the morning. 



CHAPTER XV. 

NAPLES young's LETTER VESUVIUS THE ROAD TO THE 

MOUNTAIN THE ASCENT A ROMANTIC PICNIC ON THE 

LAVA GLIMPSES OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE IN NAPLES 

A DAY AT POMPEII THE CITY OF HANNIBAL AND 

CJESAR THE MUSEUM THE EXCAVATION PALERMO. 

General Grant and his party reached Naples on the 
17th of December. Mr. Young thus describes what thej 
saw and what they did : 

We came to Naples hoping to find sunshine, but the 
consul tells us that there has been no -such weather for 
many seasons. It would be even cold in our inclement 
New York. I rejoice in the possession of a capacious uk- 
ter, which I brought into the Mediterranean against many 
protests, but which has been a useful companion. Poca* 
Naples looks especially cold. These poor souls need suik- 
shine, and they are almost too cold to beg. So much has 
been written about Naples that I may be spared a catalogue 
of its attractions. On entering the harbor the General and 
wife landed, and made a tour of the city. There was the 
summer palace, in which royal persons live for a few weeks 
every year, and whose grounds are open only by permis- 
sion. There is the castle of San Martin, an old monastery, 
now turned into a museum and a barracks. We spent a 
good hour in looking at its curiosities, which did not im- 
press us either as curious or startling. "This," said the 
guide, "is the picture of Mr. So-and-So, who generously 
gave this museum to Naples." "Well," said the General, in 
an aside tone, "if I had a museum like this, I would give 

(245) 



246 



LIFE OF GENEIIAI. GRANT. 



it to Naples, or whoever would take it." There was a beau- 
tiful chapel, in which the Lord is no longer worshipped, 
but which was a gem of elaborate decoration. There was 
a burial-ground of the monks, surrounded by marble pil- 
lars, upon which skulls were engraved. In the centre was 
one larger skull, grinning, and over the temples a wither- 
ing laurel wreath. Around this cemetery were the cloisters 
uuder whose arches our friends, the monks, used to read 







A DISTANT VIEW OF VESUVIUS. 



and walk and meditate, with such suggestions as the skulls 
would inspire . It was ghostly enough, and there was a 
comfort in turning from it to the balcony, a few steps off, 
which overh.ioked the brow of a hill, showing Naples beneath 
us and Yesu\'ius beyond — an overpowering picture of life 
and beauty and nature. We stood on the balcony and I 
looked down from our dizzy height, and thought how much 
more in consonance with true religion it was to worship 
God as "vve saw Him here in His majesty and glory, and 
not over stones and bones, and sights of evil omens. 

There, far above, was Vesuvius, and we were impa- 



TOUll AKOUNJ) TIIK WOULD. 247 

tient for the ascent. It was too late when we arrived, but 
the General, with military promptness, gave orders for the 
march next morning. We stood on the deck and studied 
the stern old mountain, and picked out the various objects 
with a telescope, and did an immense amount of reading 
on the subject. The volcano was in a lazy mood, and not 
alive to the honor of a visit from the ex-President of the 
ITnited States, for all he deigned to give us was a lazy puff 
of smoke, not a spark, or a flame, or a cinder. I suj^pose 
the old monster is an aristocrat, and a conservative, and 
said : " What do I care for Presidents, or your new Pe- 
publics ? I have scattered my ashes over a Roman Pepub- 
lic. I have lighted Csesar's triumphs, and thrown my 
clouds over Prutus fresh from Csesar's corpse. Why should 
I set my forces in motion to please a party of Yankee sight- 
seers, even if one of them should be a famous general and 
ex-ruler of a Republic? I have looked upon Hannibal 
and Caesar, Charlemagne and Ponaparte. I have seen the 
rise and fall of empires. I have admonished generations 
who worshipped Jupiter, as I have admonished generations 
who worshipped the Cross. I am the home of the gods, 
and if you would see my power look at my base and ask 
of the ashes that cumber Herculaneum and Pompeii." So 
tJlie stubborn old monster never gave us a flash of welcome, 
only a smoky puff now and then to tell us that he was a 
monster all the time, if he only chose to manifest his awful 
will. So we stood upon the deck in speculation, and some 
of us hoped there would be an eruption, or something worth 
describing. The General was bent on climbing to the very 
summit, and looking into the crater, and with that purpose 
we started in the morning. 

We should have gone earlier, but many high people 
in uniforms, commanding one thing or another, had to 
come on board and pay their respects. It was ten before 
16 



248 LIFE OF GENERAL (UiANT. 

we were under way, the General and party in tlie advance, 
with our driver, whom we have called the Marquis, on the 
box, and Mrs. Grant's maid bringing up the rear. We 
drove all the way. You will understand our route wdien 
I remind you that the Bay of Xajiles is something like a 
horseshoe. On one side of the shoe is the city, on the 
other is Vesuvius. Therefore, to reach the mountain, we 
have to drive around the upper circle of the shoe. Tlic 
shores of tliis bay are so populous that our route seemed to 
be one continuous town. We only knew that we were 
l)assing the city limits, when the guard stopped our car- 
riage to ask if there was anything on which we were 
anxious to pay duty. As there was nothing but a very 
modest luncheon, we kept on, rattling through narrow, 
stony streets. Beggars kept us company, although from 
some cause or another there were not as many as we sup- 
posed. Perha})s it was the good government which we 
are told is dealing severely with beggars, or more likelv 
it was the weather, which, as I remarked, is very coldi 
and seems to have taken all ambition out of the people. Stil] 
we were not without attention in this way, and from 
streets and by-roads a woman or a man, or sometimes a 
blind man led by a boy, would start up and follow us 
with appeals for money. They were starving or their 
children were starving, and lest we might not understand 
their tongue, they would pat their mouths or their breasts 
to show how empty they were. For starving persons 
they showed great courage and endurance in following 
our carriage. The General had an assortment of coins, 
and, although w^arned in the most judicious manner 
against encouraging j)au2)erism, he did encourage it, and 
with so much success that before he w^as half way up the 
mountain he was a pauper himself to the extent of bor- 
rowing jiennies from some of his companions to keep up 
the demands upon his generosity. 



250 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



What we observed in this long ride around the horse- 
shoe was that Naples was a very dirty, a very happy and 
a very picturesque town. We learned that the supply of 
rags was inexhaustible. I never knew what could be 
done with rags until I saw these lazzaroni. They seem to 
have grown rags, as a sheep grows his fleece, and yet there 
was no misery in their faces — happy, dirty, idle, light- 
eyed, skipping, sunny — you looked in vain for those 
terrible faces of misery and woe, which one sees so often 
in London. I take it, therefore, that begging is an 
amusement, an industry, and not a necessity — that the 
Naples beggar goes out to his work like any other laborer. 
He is not driven to it by the gaunt wolves hunger and 
disease. One scamp, a gray-bearded scamp, too, who 
followed us, was a baker, who made and sold loaves. He 
was standing at his counter trading when our carriage 
hove in sight. At once he threw down his loaves and 
started after us in full chase, moaning and showing his 
tongue and beating his breast and telling us he was 
starving. Well, when he received his coin he went to his 
store, and I presume began to naggle over his bread. 
That coin was clear gain. He was not a beggar, but a 
s[)eculator. He went into the street and made a little 
raise, just as brokers and merchants at home go into the 
''street" and try an adventure in stocks. The Neapolitan 
speculator was a wiser man than his New York brother. 
He ran no risk. Even if he did not gain his coin the run 
did him good, and his zeal gave him the reputation of an 
active business man. I learned also on this trip to repress 
my appetite for maccaroni. We saw maccaroni in all 
forms and under all circumstances, dangling in the wind 
catching the dust. Give me a dish with the most suspi- 
cious antecedents rather than this maccaroni from Naples. 

In the monntime our horses begin to moderate their 



TOUR AROUND THE WOULD. 251 

})ace, and the streets to show an angle, and horsemen sur- 
round our carriage and tell us in a variety of tongues that 
they are guides, and, if we require it, will go to the sum- 
mit. Women come to cabin doors and hold up bottles of 
white wine — the wine called Lachrymse Christi by some 
horrible irreverence — and ask us to stop and drink. And 
already the houses begin to thin, and we have fields 
around us and glimpses of the sea; and although the 
lazy volcano, with its puffs of smoke, looks as far distant 
as when we were on the deck of the Vandalia, miles 
away, we know that the ascent has begun, and that we are 
really climbing the sides of Mount Vesuvius. 

Its height varies. In 1868 it was four thousand two 
hundred and fiftj^-five feet, but since 1872 it has slightly 
diminished. ^Btna is 10,870 feet in heiglit, but its ap- 
pearance is not so impressive as that of Vesuvius. 

In the meantime we are going up steadily. The 
horses go slower and slower. Some of us get out and help 
tliem by walking part of the way and taking short cuts. 
1 he few houses that we see on the roadside have evidently 
been built with a view to eruptions, for the roofs are 
made of heavy stone and cement. General Grant notes 
that where the lava and stones have been allowed to rest 
and to mingle with the soil good crops spring up, and 
tliere we note a flourishing bit of vineyard. Soon, how- 
ever, vineyards disappear, and after the vineyards the 
houses, except an occasional house of shelter, into 
which we are all invited to enter and drink of the Tears 
of Christ. Our convoy of horsemen, who have been fol- 
lowing us for a mile or two, begin to drop off. The Mar- 
quis has been preaching to them from the box in various 
languages upon their folly in wasting time, and they 
heed his warning. There are no beggars. It is remarked 
that beggars always prefer a dead level. One bright- 



252 LIFE OF C;E^•^:RAL (iUAXT. 

eyed boy keeps at our side, a lad with about as dirty a 
suit of clothes and as pretty a pair of eyes as you could 
see even in squalid, smiling Naples. Well, there is some- 
thing ill the eyes, or it may be in the boyishness of their 
possessor, which quite wins one of the party, for when 
the Marquis insists that he shall join his fellow mendi- 
cants in the valley belov/, a gracious protection is thrown 
over him, and he followed us up the road. I think the 
patronage must have pleased him, for he gathered a hand- 
ful of wild flowers and presented them, and refused a coin 
which was offered in return ; but the refusal of this coin 
did not prevent the acceptance of two or three others and 
a good dinner included an hour or two later in the day. 
Still we climb the hill, going steadily up. Those of 
us who thought we could make the way on foot repent, 
for the way is steep and the road is hard. All around us 
is an ocean of chaos and death. There, in all forms and 
shapes, lie the lava streams that did their work in other 
days, black and cold and forbidding. You can trace the 
path of each eruption as distinctly as the windings of the 
stream from the mountain top. We are now high up on 
the mountain, and beneath us is the valley and the bay 
of Naples, with Ischia and Caj^ri, and on the other 
horizon a range of mountains tinged and tij^ped with 
snow. In one direction we see the erui^tion of 1872 ; 
the black lava stream bordered with green. What forms 
and shapes ! What fantastic, horril)le shapes the fire as- 
sumes in the hours of its triumph ! I can well see how 
Martial and Virgil, and the early poets saw in these phe- 
nomena the stripes and anger of the gods. Virgil describes 
I^nceladus trasfixed by Jove, and the mountain thrown 
upon him, which shakes and trembles whenever he turns 
his weary sides. This is the scene, the very scene of his 
immortal agony. There are no two forms alike ; all is 



TOUR A110U24D THE WOULD. 



i'")!} 



black, cold and pitiless. If avg could only see oiu living 
thing in tliLs mass of destruction ; l)ut all is death, all deso- 
lation. Here and there, where the rains have washed the 
clay, and the birds, perhaps, may have carried seed, the 
grass begins to grow ; but the whole scene is desolation. 
I thought of the earlier ages, when the earth was black 
and void, and fancied that it was just such an earth as 
this when Divinity looked upon it and said, " Let there be 
light." I thought of the end of all things, of our eailh, 
our fair, sweet and blooming earth, again a mass of lava, 
rock and ashes, life all gone out of it, rolling througli 
space. 




THE HERMITAGE. 



The presence of a phenomenon like this and right 
above us the everseething crater is in itself a solemn and 
beautiful sight. We all left repaid with our journey ; for 
by this time we had come to the journey's end, musings 
upon eternity and chaos did not forbid tlioughts of lunch- 



254 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

eon. For the wind was cold and we were hungry. So 
when our illustrious captain intimated that we might seek 
a })lace of refuge and entertainment a light gleamed in the 
eyes of the Marquis, and he reined us uj3 at a hostelry 
called the Hermitage. This is the last resting place before 
we reach the ascent of the crater. Here the roads stop, 
and the remainder of the journey must be made on foot. 
Just beyond the Hermitage is a government institution 
known as the Observatory, a point where information for 
weather reports is gained. We thought when we came 
into these upper regions that we were in an atmosjDhere too 
j)ure for the beggars. We were congratulating ourselves 
upon this circumstance coming up the mountain side, but 
on descending we had a beggar or two to await us. I suj)- 
pose they belong to the hostehy and were simply speculating 
upon us like our friend, the baker, whom we had left hag- 
gling over his loaves far down in Naples. Some of us, the 
General certainly, had come this distance meaniug to climb 
the crater. But it was very cold, and we had delayed our 
departure from the ship, so that the day w^as well on. So, 
instead of climbing the rocks and looking into a sulphurous 
crater, we organized a kind of picnic in the Hermitage. 
The house seemed to have been an inquisition or a dungeon 
— the rooms were so large, the walls were so thick, there 
were such mysterious, narrow passages and chambers. But 
peoj^le who build houses under the run of Vesuvius must 
build for fire and flame and showers of ashes and stones, 
and the Hermitage could stand a severe eruption before it 
became untenable. A slight cracklmg fire of twigs was 
made on the hearth and a brazier of burning coals was 
brought into the room. We were some time in compre- 
1 lending the brazier, but when its uses became apparent it 
was comforting enough. There, in quite a primitive %sh- 
ion, Ave had our luncheon, helping ourselves and each 



TOUR AROUND THE AVORLD. 255 

other ill good, homely American fashion, for we were as 
far from the amenities of civilization as though we were in 
Montana. Then after luncheon we walked about, looking 
at the crater, where fumes were quite apparent; at the 
world of desolation around us, some of it centuries old, l)ut 
as fresh and terrible as when it burst from the world of 
fire beneath us. But there was still another picture — one 
of sublime and marvellous beauty. There beneath us, in 
clear, sunny air — there was Naples, queen among cities, 
and her villages clustering about her. Beautiful, won- 
drously beautiful, that panorama of hill and field and sea 
that rolled before us thousands of feet below ! We could 
count twenty villages in the plain, their white roofs massed 
together and spangling the green plain like gems. There 
were Capii and Ischia — their rugged outlines softened by 
the purple-golden glow of the passing day — lying at the 
mouth of the bay as if to guard this rich valley. 
There was Naples, her rags and dirt quite veiled and only 
her beauty to be seen. There was Misenum, where Pliny 
watched the destruction of Pompeii. There was Nisita, 
where Brutus took refuge when he fled from the murder 
oP Csesar. There was Sorrento, where Tasso lived. Every 
village has its history and associations, for these plains and 
islands and promontories have been for ages the seats of a 
brilliant and glorious civilization — a civilization which even 
now only shows the beauty of decay. The splendor of a 
Roman imperial civilization has gone from Italy. Ages of 
darkness and superstition and despotism have rested upon 
her like the ashes which cover Pompeii. Let us lioj)e that 
a new era is coming, which, based upon freedom and patri- 
otism, will far excel even that of the Caesars. These were 
our thoughts as we stood in the cold winds studying the 
magnificent seene. And thinking of the living, we thought 
of the dead — of the cities of the jilains which perished 



256 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

1,700 years ago. The romance that surrounds Naples only 
deepens the tragedy of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and we 
found our thoughts ever turning from the glory and majesty 
of all we saw to those buried cities of the plains. These 
were the burden of many words and thoughts as we were 
hurried home again — home to our graceful vessel whose 
lights awaited us in the harbor. 

Pindar's description of ^tna applies equally well to 
Vesuvius. 

" Forth from whose nitrous caverns issuing rise, 

Pure liquid fountains of tempestous fire, 
And vail in ruddy mists the noonday skies, 

While wrapt in smoke the eddying flames aspire ; 
Or gleaming through the night with hideous roar, 

Far o'er the red'ning main huge rocky fragments pour." 

On the day following the ascent of Mount Vesuvius, 
General Grant and family, accompanied by Mr. B. Odell 
Duncan, United States Consul, Commander Pobinson, of 
the Vandalia, Lieutenants Strong, Kush and Miller, and 
Engineer Baird, visited the ruins of Pompeii. Says Mr. 
Young : 

We arrived at Pompeii early, considering that we had 
to ride fourteen or fifteen miles, but the morning was cold 
enough to be grateful to our Northern habits, and there 
was sunshine. Our coming had been expected, and we 
were welcomed by a handsome young guide, who talked a 
form of English in a rather high key, as though w^e were 
all a little hard of hearing. This guide informed us that 
he had waited on General Sheridan when he visited Pom- 
peii. He was a soldier, and we learned that the guides 
are all soldiers, who receive duty here as a reward for me- 
ritorious service. There was some comfort in seeing Pom- 
I)eii accompanied by a soldier, and a brave one. This 
especial guide was intelligent, bright, and well up in all 
concerning Pompeii. We entered the town at once through 



TOUU AROUND THE WOULD. 207 

a gate leading through an embankment. Although Pom- 
peii, so far as excavated, is as open to the air as New York, 
it is surrounded by an earthen mound resembling some of 
our railway embankments in America. Looking at it froui 
the outside you might imagine it an embankment, and ex- 
pect to see a train of cars whirling along the surface. It 
is only when you pass up a stone-paved slope a few paces 
that the truth comes upon you, and you see that you are 
in the City of Death. You see before you a long, narrow 
street, running into other narrow streets. You see quaint, 
curious houses in ruins. You see fragments, statues, mounds, 
walls. You see curiously painted walls. You see where 
men and women lived, and how they lived — all silent and 
all dead — and there comes over you that appalling story 
which has fascinated so many generations of men — the 
story of the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

This was in the latter part of October, 79, and Pom- 
peii slept in peace. Ashes twenty feet deep covered the 
town, and it is believed that ten thousand persons perished. 
In 1748 the first excavations were made by the Bourbon 
Charles III. The villa of Diomedes was opened in 1771. 
It was in this villa that a group of eighteen skeletons were 
found. It was not until 1806, when the French took 
Naples, that the work was pursued with any intelligence. 
About one-third of the town has already been opened, and 
the excavation goes on under intelligent and judicious 
superintendence. 

Our first visit was to the Museum, a carefully arranged 
museum. Here you may see windows and doors as they 
came from the ruins. There are also casts of eight human 
bodies, the faces and forms expressing the agony of the last 
moment. One form is that of a finely formed women, her 
brow resting upon her arm, lying in an easy attitude of 
repose. Some had their clothing, others scarcely a vestige 



258 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



of clothing. Some were in attitudes of despair and com- 
bat, as though they would resist Death when he came. 
There were skeletons of animals and skulls. There were 
vases as they came from the opened chambers, rainspouts 
in terra cotta, helmets, bucklers and swords that belonged 
to the gladiators. There was bread as found in the oven, 
and a dish in which the meat was roasting. There was a 
pot in which were the remnants of a sucking pig, the skele- 
ton of the pig clearly traceable. There were barley and 
olives and all kinds of food. Almonds, pears and figs, 




RUINS AT POMPEII. 

pouches of coin, sandals, garments, rings and trinkets, 
amulets that were to keep off the evil eye. All was here 
arranged as found in the ashes of the buried city. And 
all was so real — so horribly real. The Italian authorities 
did General Grant special honor on his visit to Pompeii by 
directing that a house shoidd be excavated. The director 



TOUU AllOUNI> THE WOKJ.D. 259 

of excavations led the way to the proposed work, there were 
the General and his party, and a group of our gallant and 
courteous friends from the Vandalia. The quarter selected 
was near the Forum. Chairs were arranged for the General, 
Mrs. Grant, and some of us, and there quietly, in a room 
that had known Pompeiian life seventeen centuries ago, 
we awaited the signal that was to dig up the ashes that had 
fallen from Vesuvius that terrible night in August. Our 
group was composed of the General, his wife and son ; Mr. 
Duncan, the American Consul in Naples ; Commander 
Robeson, of the Vandalia ; Lieutenants Strong, Miller an-l 
Kush, of the same shiji. We formed a group about the 
General while the director gave the workmen the signal. 
The spades dived into the ashes, while with eager eyes we 
looked on. What story would be revealed of that day of 
agony and death ! Perhai^s a mother, almost in the 
fruition of a proud mother's hopes, lying in the calm re- 
pose of centuries, like the figure we had seen only an hour 
ago, dug from these very ruins. Perhaps a miser hurry- 
ing with his coin only to fall in his doorway, there to rest 
in peace while seventeen centuries of the mighty world 
rolled over him, and to end at last in a museum. Perhaps 
a soldier fallen at his post, or a reveller stricken at the 
feast. All these things have been given us from Pompeii, 
and w^e stood watching the nimble spades and the tumbling- 
ashes, watching with the greedy eyes of gamblers to see 
what chance would send. Nothing came of any startling 
import. There were two or three bronze ornaments, a 
loaf of bread wrapped in cloth, the grain of the bread and 
the fibre of the cloth as clearly marked as when this pro- 
l)able remnant of a humble meal was put aside by the 
careful housewife's hands. Beyond this, and some frag- 
ments we could not understand, this was all that came 
from the excavation of Pomj^eii. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OFF FOR MALTA SCYLLA AND CIIARYBDIS AMONG THE 

SCENES OF SAINT PAUL'S TRAVELS EN ROUTE FOR ALEX- 
ANDRIA THE MARQUIS — ALEXANDRIA HENRY M. STAN- 
LEY A CALL ON THE KHEDIVE IN THE LAND OF THE 

PHARAOHS AND OF THE PYRAMIDS PLEASANT MEETING 

WITH OLD FRIENDS. 

A FEW days later tlie party sailed for Malta, belong- 
ing to Great Britain, where they arrived on the 28th. 
Says the correspondent ot" tlie party : " I arose early in 
the morning to see Stromboli. This island has an obliging 
volcano, which never pauses in its entertainment. But 
when we came to Stromboli, although we were near enongli 
to be under its shadow, there was only the rain. Captain 
Kobeson pointed it out to me and I fancied I saw it, but 1 
am afraid it was only a cloud. If there was any danger 
of the sirens enchanting our Ulysses the weather saved 
him. All we saw of the islands was a mass in the mist. 
The night became angry and the day brought a heavy sea. 
and I could well understand the anxious look of the cap- 
tain when, about six in the morning, he came out of his 
(•al>in in his oilcloth coat and glass in hand. We were 
driving rapidly upon the Calabrian coasts, and there Avas 
a rock he desired to see. The rock had its place on the 
chart as the signpost sliowing the way into the Straits of 
Messina. But it had a far more important i)lace in our 

,.260) 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 261 

imagination, for it was the rock of Scylla, and the straits 
into which we were entering were the straits tormented by 
the whirlpool of Charybdis. 

We passed the rock of Scylla about eight in the 
morning. It was an ordinary rock, not very large or im- 
posing. As for Charybdis, if such a whirlpool existed, its 
turmoil is over, for we ploughed through the waves un- 
disturbed by its emotion. This part of our trip was through 
the Straits of Messina. The straits are narrow, not much 
wider than the Hudson opposite New York, and as we 
sailed through we had a fine view of one of the most 
beautiful prospects in Euroj)e. On one side was Sicily, on 
the other Calabria. We passed Messina — now a city of 
70,000 people — her domes white and shining in the sun- 
shine. Messina has suffered from . conquerors since the 
days of Hannibal, from the plague and from earthquakes. 
It was early in 1783 that the earthquake threw down the 
campanile and transept of her cathedral. Passing Messina 
we next saw on the Italian coast the town of Reggio, now 
a flourishing settlement of 16,000 souls. Reggio has had 
its own troubles with earthquakes and in 1783 was almost 
destroyed. It was here that Garibaldi landed when crossed 
from Sicily. It was also in the hills behind Reggio — those 
dark brown hills that we see clearly in the morning sun — 
that he made his fatal fight of Aspromonte and was 
wounded and taken prisoner by Pallavicini in 1862, the 
same General Pallavicini who was so polite to General 
Grant the other day in Naples, when he marched his 
troops in review before us. Reggio, however, has a deeper 
interest to us than even attaches to the fame and fortunes of 
the illustrious Garibaldi. It is the Rhegium of the New 
Testament. " And landing at Syracuse," saith the Gospel, 
" we tarried there three days. And from thence we fetched 
a compass and came to Rhegium." 



262 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

As we passed along, the majestic mountain of iEtna 
was to be seen on our right. It is a quiet volcano, or at 
least we could see nothing like fire or smoke ; nothing, 
indeed, Init a cloudless sky above it. 

Its crater is an immense chasm two or three miles wide, 
and the circumference of its base is more than a hundred 
miles. Tlie last demonstration of the volcano was in 
August, 1874. When the sun went down ^tna was still 
watching us. The sea was high, and our course was 
directly south to the famous island of Malta, where tradi- 
tion has it the great Apostle Paul was wrecked. Here he 
spent several months, teaching and working among the 
people, and from here started on fiis final voyage to the 
Eternal City. 

We arrived at Malta about one in the afternoon. The 
gale continued to be severe. We thought of the ancient 
tunes when Paul was thrown on the islands. You will find 
the story in the two last chapters of the Acts of the 
Apostles. How Paul was fourteen days driven up and 
down in Adria ; how the a2)ostle bade the centurions and 
soldiers be of good cheer and stand by the ship ; how the 
angel of God appeared to Paul, and told him to have no 
fear ; how the ship, with its 276 souls, was cast on the 
rocks ; liovr they came to a place where two seas met and 
" when they were escaped, then they knew the island was 
called Malta." You will remember also they were a 
barbarous people, who were kind and kindled a fire, and 
how the viper came out of the fire and hung upon Paul's 
hand. You will remember also that Paul shook the viper, 
which is a wise thing to do Avitli venomous beasts, and that 
the people were amazed because Paul did not swell and 
fall dead, and "sjiid he was a god," and treated him 
courteously and honored him with many honors, and on 
his departure laded him with such things as were necessary. 



TOUR AROUND THE AVORLD. 



2G3 



If there were no other historical attractions in Malta 
but what is thus written in the New Testament it would 
be well worth a visit. But Malta now, one of the strong- 
holds of the British Empire, one of the citadels on her 
Indian higliAvay, has had more than her share of the 
mutations of human fortune. It is supposed to have been 




KLINb -Vr M VLTA 



the Island of Ogygia, where Homer gave a home to 
Calypso. It fell in the hard hands of the Carthagenians. 
Then the Romans came and threw it into their empire. 
Then came the Vandals, the Goths and Arabs in fierce 
succession. Afterward came the unique dominion of the 
Knights of St. John, who came from Rhodes when the 
Turks pulled down the cross. In 1800 Napoleon, then on 
his way to Egypt, took the Island ; but in 1802 it came 
into the hands of the English, who have made it as strong 
as Gibraltar; strong enough to be regarded as impregnable. 
We had made fast to our anchorage and had fired the 

17 



ll 



264 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

salute of twenty-one guns, by which a vessel of war does 
honor to a foreign port, when an officer reported to General 
Grant that the Duke of Edinburgh was coming on board. 
The ship next to the Vandalia was the Sultan, a noble 
Enslish iron-clad under the command of His Koval 
Highness. The General was standino; on the deck study- 
ing the town when the caj^tain's boat of the Sultan, with 
the Duke steering, whirled around the stern. His Royal 
Highness was received at the gang-way by Captain Robe- 
son. He was dressed in his uniform as captain, wearing 
on his breast the star of .the Garter. The General advanced 
and greeted the Duke, and presented the gentlemen with 
him, and they retired to the cabin. They remained in 
conversation for the best part of an hour, talking about 
Malta, its antiquities, its history, England, education, the 
Eastern question, the weather and Besika Bay. His 
Royal Highness said he had orders to sail, and supposed 
his destination was Smyrna. He had had his time at 
Besika Bay and did not regard the return with any en- 
thusiasm. He spoke of the visit of his brother-in-law, the 
Grand Duke Alexis, to America, and of the gratification 
of the family at the reception by our peoj^le. The Duke 
is the pattern of a sailor, and has all the ease and ofP-hand 
grace of his family. On taking his leave his Royal 
Highness asked the General and family to visit him at his 
palace of San Antonio and take luncheon. The j^alace of 
San Antonio is about four miles from the town. It is sur- 
rounded by orange groves and walls, and is noted as the 
only large garden on the island. The drive was through 
an uninteresting, glaring country, the perpetual glare almost 
dimming our eyes. When we reached the palace, the Duke 
and Duchess received General and ]\Irs. Grant and their 
son in the most gracious manner. After luncheon His 
Royal Highness escorted them through the orange groves. 



TOUR AROUXD THE WORLD. 265 

At noon General Grant visited the Governor General of 
Malta. On leaving the General was saluted with twenty- 
one guns. A regiment was drawn up in front of the palace 
as a guard of honor. The Governor, a famous old English 
General, Van Straubeuzee, wore the Order of the Grand 
Cross of the Bath. He received the General and party at 
the door of the palace surrounded by his council and a 
group of Maltese noblemen. 

On the following day a verj' pleasant visit was paid to 
the Duke of Edinburgh's ship, the "Sultan." On Monday, 
the 31st, the party sailed for Alexandria. 

There were many temptations, writes Mr. Young, to 
remain in Malta. Hospitalities showered upon us. All 
the great ones of the place, beginning with His Royal 
Highness the Duke of Echnburgh, vied with one another 
in making our visit a jileasant one. I think if our mail 
had been ordered to Malta instead of Alexandria, we 
should have remained anyhow. At the last moment there 
was a disposition to stay, but the General had taken his 
leave and sent his cards, and he is not apt to change his 
mind. In the morning of the last day of the year, he 
pushed ashore and roamed about an hour or two through 
the quaint streets of the strange, old town. I have called 
the town Malta, but it is really named Valletta, after John 
de la Valette, who was Grand Master of the Order of St. 
John, and built the town in the middle part of the six- 
teenth century. The knights held Malta for nearly two 
hundred and fifty years, and remained until the French 
and then the English drove them out. The people have a 
peculiar dialect, based on the Arabic, with plenty of 
Italian, French and English thrown in. The j^revailing 
industry seems to be following officers and strangers around 
all day and begging. The town has many beautiful 
views, and I could see very easily how life might be toler- 



266 



LIFE OF GENEKAL GRANT, 



ated here for tlie warm, genial air. It was the last day of 
tlie year when we pushed out into the l)ay, and turned our 
prow toward the Mediterranean. There was quite a group 
of officers on deck surrounding the General and his party. 
As we neared the Sultan the band played our national 
airs, winding up with "Auld Lang Syne." We exchanged 
greetings with them, and with our comj^atriots of the 




IIULbLlOP AM) B\TTLE^^E^T■- AT MALTA. 

Gettysburg, who had gathered on the quarterdeck to say 
goodby. So our last remembrance of jNIalta is the music 
that came from the Sultan, the hurrah that came from the 
Gettysburg and the lowering of one solitary flag, far up 
the cliff, which indicated that our consular agent was on 
the watch and Avas bidding us good speed. 

Our General fell into his sea life quite readily. He 
seemed to welcome the sea with the rapture of a boy going 
home for a holiday. I can well imagine what a holiday it 
must be to one who has doiie in sixteen years the work 



TOUR AIIOUND THE WORLD. 267 

imposed upon General Grant. He is not an early riser, 
but keeps up the American custom of a breakfast at ten. 
After breakfast he takes up a newspaper, if he can find 
one, and a cigar. My friend, Mark Twain, will be glad 
to know that the General read with delight and apprecia- 
tion his "Innocents Abroad." In Naj^les one of us dis- 
covered an English version of the "Nasby Papers," which 
was a boon. About noon, if the weather is calm, the 
General comes on deck and converses, or studies the sea 
and the scenery. Dinner comes at six o'clock, and after 
dinner there is talk. When the General is in the mood, 
or when some subject arises which interests him, he is not 
only a good, but a remarkably good talker. His manner 
is clear and terse. He narrates a story as clearly as he 
w^ould demonstrate a problem in geometry. His mind is 
singularly accurate and perspicacious. He has few, very 
few, resentments, and this was a surprising feature, re- 
membering the battles, civil and military, in which he has 
been engaged. I have heard him refer to most of the 
men, civil and military, who have flourished with him, 
and there is only one about whom I have seen him 
show feeling. But it was feeling like that of the 
farmer in the schoolbook who saw the viper which he had 
w^armed to life about to sting him, I do not mention names, 
because I have no wish to excite controversies, such, for in- 
stance, as the controversy over Sumner. I wdll culy allude 
to the Sumner business so far as to say that I think General 
Grant has been rather severely used in the matter. I have 
never heard General Grant speak with bitterness of Mr. 
Sumner. He told his story of the removal of Mr. Motley, 
and only told it, if I may quote his own words, when he liad 
been charged by the friends of Mr. Sumner with having 
killed Mr. Motley. It seems to me that if history is to be 
written both sides should be heard, and in a transaction 



268 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

in which General Grant bore a conspicuous part, he is cer- 
tainly entitled to be heard as a witness. As I have said, I 
have never heard General Grant speak with bitterness of 
Mr. Sumner, which leads me to repeat the observation I 
made a moment or two ago — that he shows no resentment. 
I had known General Grant fairly well before I became 
the companion of his travels, and had formed my own 
opinion of his services and character. A closer relation 
strengthens that opinion. The impression that the General 
makes upon you is, that he has immense resources in re- 
serve. He has in eminent degree that "two o'clock in the 
morning courage," which Napoleon said he alone possessed 
among his marshals and generals. You are also impressed 
with his good feeling and magnanimity in speaking of 
comrades and rivals in the war. In some cases — especially 
in the cases of Sherman and Sheridan, MacPherson and 
Lincoln — it becomes an enthusiasm quite beautiful to wit- 
ness. Cadet days are a favorite theme of conversation, 
and after cadet life the events of the war. I wish I con VI 
dare to send you some of these conversations, some of the 
General's estimates of men and narratives of events. But 
for the present the very nature of my mission forbids it. 
Among our company is a gentleman who attends the 
General as a courier or secretary in foreign tongues. I 
call our friend "secretary" because the title is the one of 
his own choosing. His name is Jacques Hartog, native of 
Holland, educated in Paris and citizen of the world. We 
call him the " Marquis." The title expresses Mr. Hartog's 
address and accomplishments, and I am proud to publish 
the renown that the Vandalia mess has conferred upon 
him. He has an aristocratic air, and it is almost like a 
breeze from land — a breeze from the Sicilian shores laden 
with the odor of the orange blossoms — to see the Marquis 
c-omo to breakfast in the vrardroom, with the sea rolling 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 269 

heavily, having passed a bad night. We are all fuzzy and 
ragged ; we have taken refuge in flannels and old clothes ; 
we have that uneasy feeling which verges on illness. The 
Marquis comes with the manner of a lord of the ante- 
chamber in the days of Louis Quatorze. Every hair is in 
its place, the curl is posed on the brow, the face is clean as 
a parchment, the full, brown moustache has the faintest 
suspicion, of brillantine, the scarf-pin is adjusted. There is 
not a crease in his garments. If the Marquis were a good 
sailor there would be no sj^ecial merit in this, but our noble 
friend is a bad sailor and hates the sea, every motion of 
the ship being a misery to him. For a nobleman in the 
agonies of seasickness, of a constant seasickness, to array 
himself as though he were about to promenade the Champs 
Ely sees, shows a power of self-control Avhich is worthy of 
admiration. 




ALEXANDRIA. 



On the 5th of January the party reached Alexandria. 
The writer continues: — Our reception was most enthusi- 
astic. The Vandalia had hardly anchored when the 
Governor of the district, the admiral and the generals, 
pachas and beys, the Consul General, Mr. Farman; the 



270 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Vice-Consul, Mr. Salvage ; Judges Barringer and Morgan, 
and the missionaries all came on board. The reception 
lasted an hour, and as each officer was saluted according to 
his rank, and the salutes were returned, there was smoke 
enough in the air for a naval engagement, and w^e could 
ahnost fancy another battle of the Nile like that fought, 
only a step or two up the coast, one eventful day nearly 
eighty years ago. The Governor, in the name of the 
Khedive, welcomed General Grant to Egypt, and offered 
him a palace in Cairo and a special steamer up the Nile. 
It is Oriental etiquette to return calls as soon as possible, 
and accordingly in the afternoon the General, accom})anied 
by his son. Commander Kobeson, Chief Engineer Trillay 
and Lieutenant Handy, of the navy, landed in the official 
barge. As this was an official visit, the Vandalia manned 
the yards and fired twenty-one guns. These salutes were 
responded to by the Egyptian vessels. A guard of honor 
received the General at the palace, and the reception was 
after the manner of the Orientals. We enter a spacious 
chamber and are seated on a cushioned seat or divan, ac- 
cording to rank. The Pacha — who has a Greek face and, 
I presume, is a Greek — offers the company cigarettes. 
Then compliments are exchanged, the Pacha saymg how 
proud Egypt is to see the illustrious stranger, and the 
General answering that he anticipates great pleasure in 
visiting Egypt. The Pacha gives a signal, and servants 
enter bearing little porcelain cups about as large as an egg, 
in filagree cases. This is the beverage — coffee — or, as was 
the case with this special pacha, a hot drink spiced with 
cinnamon. Then the conversation continues with judi- 
cious pauses, the Orientals being slow in speech and our 
General not apt to diffuse his opinions. In about five 
minutes we arise and file down stairs in slow, solemn fash- 
ion, servants and guards saluting, and the visit is over. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 271 

The General and Mrs. Grant went to dine, and in the 
evening we had a ball and a dinner at the house of our 
Vice-Consul, Mr. Salvage. This was an exceedingly bril- 
liant entertainment, and interesting in one respect, 
es23ecially because it was here that the General met my 
renowned friend and colleague, Henry M. Stanley, just 
fresh from the African wilderness. The General had heard 
of Stanley's being in town, and had charged me to seek 
him out and ask him to come on board and dine. 
My letter missed Stanley, and we met at the Con- 
sul's. Stanley sat on the right of the General, and 
they had a long conversation upon African matters and the 
practical results of the work done by our intrepid friend. 
The Consul General proposed the health of General Grant, 
and Judge Barringer proposed that of Mrs. Grant, who, 
by the way, was prevented by fatigue from coming. Then 
a toast was proposed in honor of Stanley, who made a 
grateful response, saying it was one of the ]3roudest 
moments in his life to find himself seated by our guest. 
Stanley looks quite gray and somewhat thinner than when 
I saw him in New York, just before his departure, three 
years ago. I gave him all the news I could remember 
about friends in New York and elsewhere. Next morning 
jNIr. Farman, our Consul-General, and myself, saw him on 
board the Brindisi steamer, which was to carry him to 
Europe — to new honors and the enjoyment of a well earned 
and enviable renown. The entertainment at Mr. Salvage's 
at an end, we retmmed on board. The next day was Sun- 
day. The General, accompanied by a friend, landed, 
meaning to stroll about the town. Walking is one of the 
General's occupations, and he never sees a town until he 
has gone ashore and lost himself His eye for topography 
is remarkable ; but that is a military quality, after all, and 
in Alexandria, one of the most huddled up and bewildering 



272 LIFE OF GENERAL GiiANT. 

towns, he had a fine opportunity for the exercise of his 
skill We strolled as far as Cleopatra's Needle, which is 
said to be going to New York. Then there was an in- 
formal luncheon, as became the Sabbath, with Mr. Gibbs, 
the director of the telegraph. Commander Robeson and 
Lieutenant Commander Caldwell forming the other mem- 
bers of the party. The event of Monday was that we 
formed a group on the quarterdeck and had our photo- 
graphs taken, the General and family in the the centre, 
and around them the wardroom, steerage and warrant 
officers of the Vandalia. 

This event closed our life on the Vandalia for a month 
at least. It was only au revoir and not good- by, but there 
was just enough of the feeling of parting to give a tinge of 
sadness to the mass of trunks and bundles, which the sail- 
ors, under the orders of the Marquis, were arranging on 
deck. We were to do Cairo and the Nile, we were to be 
gone three weeks, and were to return. But the only one 
of the party who really wanted to leave was our noble 
friend, the Marquis, whose spirits have been steadily rising 
since he came to land and heard the rumor of the Khe- 
dive's hospitality. As he takes command of the baggage 
and directs the sailors in their handling of it, you see in his 
eye the enthusiasm of one born to command when in his 
own element. When he pushes off in the tug, trailing the 
luggage in a boat behind him, there is a disposition to fire 
a salute, but the regulations are not elastic, and the 
Marquis, with his important command, has only a silent 
adieu. We are not long in following him. We have a 
special train at our command, and the captain and a group 
of the officers are going up to attend the presentation to 
the Khedive. The Governor of the province, with his 
retinue, met the General, and at eleven the train, a special 
one, started. Judge Barringer and wife were of the 



TOUR AEOUND THE WORLD. 273 

company, and the run to Cairo was made in four liours. 
The General studied the scenery closely and noted tlie 
resemblance in some portions to prairie land in Illinois. 
Mrs. Grant was more impressed with the poetry of the 
scene — with the biblical associations that cluster about this 
strange land. The officers formed a merry company in 
their compartments, Avhile the Marquis was in an advance 
section, holding guard over a lunch basket. The Marquis 
is a great admirer of the Khedive, and expresses himself 
earnestly in favor of a government which welcomes its 
guests to a palace. He takes no interest in the ruins, 
believing Cairo to be more interesting because of the cafes, 
which remind him of Paris, than the Pyramids, which 
he regards as entirely useless. At three o'clock we come 
to Cairo. There is a guard, a carpet-way, and a group of 
officers and civilians. The General, looking at the group, 
recognizes old friends. " Why," he says, " there's Loring, 
whom I have not seen for thirty years ; " and " There's 
Stone, who must have been dyeing his hair to make it so 
white." The cars stop and General Stone enters, present- 
ing the representative of the Khedive. This officer 
extends the welcome of His Highness, which General 
(jrant accepts with thanks. General Loring comes in and 
receives a hearty greeting from his old friend in early days 
and his enemy during the war. General Stone and Gen- 
eral Grant were at West Point, and are old friends, and 
their meeting is quite enthusiastic. The General asks 
General Loring to ride with him, while General Stone 
accompanies Mrs. Grant, and so we drive off to the Palace 
of Kassrel-Doussa — the palace placed at General Grant's 
disposal by the Khedive. Commander Robeson and 
Lieutenant Kush accept the General's invitation to reside 
in the palace while they are in Cairo, and the remainder 
of the party find homes in the hotel. 



274 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The General dined quietly with his family, and next 
day called on the Khedive. The hour fixed for the re- 
ception was eleven, and a few minutes before that hour 
the state carriages called at the palace. The General 
wore a plain evening dress, and was accompanied by the 
following officers: — Commander H. B. Robeson, comman- 
ding the Vandalia; Joseph Trilley, chief engineer ; George 
H. Cooke, surgeon; Lieutenant E. T. Strong, Lieutenant 
J. W.Miller, Paymaster J. P. Loomis; G. W. Baird, en- 
gineer; H.L. Hoskinson, ensign; B. F. Walling and E. S. 
Hotchkin, midshipmen ; E. B. Freeman, engineer. Jesse 
B. Grant and Consul-General Farman accompanied the 
General. We reached the palace shortly after eleven. 
There was a guard of honor, and the officers of the house- 
hold were ranged on the stairs. The General entered 
and was met by His Highness, the Khedive, at the foot of 
the stairs. The General, his son, and Mr. Farman went 
into an inner room, where the ceremonies of the formal 
presentation took place. The officers then entered and 
were received by His Highness, who expressed his 
gratification at seeing so many representatives of the navy. 
This reception lasted about half an hour, the Khedive 
shoAving the General the pictures on his walls painted in 
commemoration of the opening of the Suez Canal. We 
then returned to the palace. We had scarcely entered 
when the carriage of the Khedive was announced. The 
General received the Khedive, who was accompanied by 
his Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and welcomed him in 
the grand saloon, where Mrs. Grant also received His 
Highness. The officers of the Vandalia were present, 
and their striking uniforms, picturesque costume of the 
Khedive and his attendants, and the splendid, stately 
decorations of the room in which they assembled, made 
the group imposing. In the course of this conversatioii 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 275 

General Grant spoke of General Stone, now chief of staff 
to the Khedive. He said he had known General Stone 
from boyhood, and did not think he had a superior in our 
army ; that he was a loyal and able man, and he was 
pleased to see him holding so important a command. The 
Khedive said he was very much pleased with General Stone ; 
that he found him a most useful, and a most able, man, 
especially fitted to organize troops, and had made him a 
member of his jmvy council. At the close of the inter- 
view. General Grant escorted the Khedive to his carriage ; 
official calls were then made upon the two sons of the 
Khedive, who at once returned the calls, and so ended ouv 
official duties. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CAIRO AND THE NILE LIFE ON THE RIVER DOMESTIC 

SCENES FRIENDS ON THE 'W^AY ASSIOUT TOMB OF THE 

KINGS THE HOME OF WASIP EL HAYAT GIRGEL THE 

LIBYAN DESERT — GRAND OLD RUINS ISIS AND OSIRIS. 

The Khedive, writes Mr. Young, lias placed at the dis- 
posal of the General one of his steam vessels, and she 
swings out into the stream with the American flag at the 
fore. We have all been in a bustle and a hurry to get 
away. There was the leaving the place, the massing of 
bundles, the command of the impedimenta. We were 
alert for the trip, and we had been feeding our imagina- 
tions with visions of Eastern life, with visions of the faded 
but glorious remnants of the ancient civilization. Cairo 
was French. The infidel had gilded and wall-papered the 
city of the faithful, and it was hard to realize you were in 
an Oriental land where everybody spoke Italian and 
French, and Vienna beer was among the principal articles 
of merchandise. But now we were really to throw behind 
us the tawdry French manners and customs which invaded 
us in our palace, and to go for days and days upon the 
waters of the Nile. We bought each a fez, and some of 
us ventured upon the luxury of an Indian hat. Others 
went into colored spectacles, and the marquis, a far seeing 
man, who had been on the Nile, and who was not in the 
best of spirits at leaving a palace to float for weeks between 
Arab villages, appeared with an astonishing umbrella. 
We had many friends to see us off. General Stone, Judge 
Batcheller and Judge Barringer, with their wives ; General 
Loring, and others. There were radiant mounds of flow- 

(276) 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



277 



ers as remembrances to Mrs. Grant, and as much leave- 
taking as though we were bound from New York to Liver- 
pool. Some one makes this suggestion when the observa- 
tion is made that we are about to undertake a journey as 
long as from New York to Liverpool and return. The 
General sits in a corner with Stone and Lorins:, talkine: 
about old days in the army and making comments upon 
famed and illustrious names that the historian would wel- 
come if I could only dare to gather up crumbs of this inter- 
esting conversation. At noon the signal for our journey is 
given and farewells are spoken, and we head under full 
steam for the Equator. 




AN ORIENTAL BAZAAR. 



Our party .is thus composed — we have the General, his 
wife, and his son, Jesse. The Khedive has assigned us an 
officer of his household (Sami Bey), a Circassian gentle- 
man educated in England. Sami Bey is one of the heroes 



278 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT, 

of our tri]^, and we soon came to like him, Moslem as he 
is, for his quaint, cordial, kindly ways. I suj^pose wfe 
should call Sami Bey the executive officer of the expedi- 
tion, as to him all responsibility is given. We have also 
with us, thanks to the kindness of the Khedive, Emile 
Brugsch, one of the directors of the Egyptian Museum. 
Mr. Brugsch is a German, brother to the chief director, 
who has made the antiquities of Egypt a study. Mr, 
Brugsch knows every tomb and column in the land. He 
has lived for weeks in the temples and ruins, superintend- 
ing excavations, copying inscriptions, deciphering hiero- 
glyphics, and his j^resence with us is an advantage that 
cannot be over-estimated, for it is given to him to point 
with his cane and unravel mystery after mystery of the 
marvels engraved on the stones and rocks, while we stand 
by in humble and listening wonder. ''What a blank our 
trip would be without Brugsch!" said the General one 
day, as we were coming back from a ruin — a ruin as abso- 
lute and meaningless as the Aztec mounds in New Mex- 
ico, but which our fine young friend had made as lumin- 
ous as a page in Herodotus. The Consul General, E. E, 
Farman, formerly editor of the Western Netv Yorker, is 
also of our party, and I have already spoken of the 
})leasant impression he made upon General Grant in 
Cairo, The General had so agreeable a time with the 
good boys of the Vandalia that he asked Commander 
Bobeson to come and bring with him as many of his of- 
ficers as could be spared. He was anxious to have Bobe- 
son, and all kinds of schemes and persuasions were in- 
vented to secure him. When the gracious commands of 
the lady of our expedition were put upon him the Com- 
mander paused, and I think for one whole evening he had 
resolved to go up the Nile. But the morning came, and it 
brought the cold fact that the Commander had a ship to 



TOUll AllOUND THE WORLD. 



27r, 



command, and that it was his duty to command it, and the 
Nile was in no sense a navigable water. So Robeson gave 
up the Nile and sent three of his officers to accept the 
General's invitation — the Chief Surgeon, George H. Cooke; 
Lieutenant W. A. Hadden and Ensisn F. A. Wilner. 




EASTERN DONKEYS. 



Our boat is called Zinet el Boliren, or as my omniscient 
friend translates it, the Light of Two Rivers. It is a long, 
narrow steamer, with two cabins, drawing only a few feet 
of water, with a flat bottomed keel. The Nile is a river 
of sand and mud, and as the bottom is always changing 
you must expect to run aground every little while and to 
run off again. This in fact we do, and the announcement 
ihat we are aground makes about as much impression upon 
ns as if a passenger in a Broadway omnibus heard the 
wheel of his coach interlock with another. The Nile boats 
seem arranged to meet any emergency in the way of land 
— for this river is sprawling, eccentric, comprehensive, 

J8 



280 LIFE OF GENERAL caLVNT. 

without any special channel — running one way to-day, 
another next day. To know the river, therefore, must be 
something like knowing the temper of a whimsical woman 
— you must court and woo her and wait upon her humors. 
Navigation is a constant seeking after knowledge. We 
have a captain in a comely uniform, with a clear cut Arab 
face, who stands in the middle of the boat and shouts. 
We have two men with poles who lean over the prow and 
sink their poles in the water, and now and then shout. 
Then at the wheel we have one, or perhaps two, steersmen, 
generally fine, grave, swarthy fellows, who do not sliout 
much, but, knowing the river's coquettish ways, do as 
they please, unmindful of the shouting. For an hour, for 
two or three hours, we hum along with an easy, trembling 
motion, the smooth, shining river lapping our sides, and 
the low, green banks falling behind us. Then we have a 
tremor, a sidling to one side, and the engines stop. This 
was so serious a business, especially to our seafaring friends, 
that for the first or second time they regarded it as a call 
to quarters or a fire alarm, but we soon became used to it, 
and running aground hardly interrupted the idlest conver- 
sation. When evening comes, our captain .picks out the 
best point that can be found after sunset, and runs up to 
the land. The crew are sent ashore with torches and 
hammers, posts are driven into the soft clay and we are 
tied to the shore. There, as if out of the earth they come, 
we have a group of Bedouins in their turbans, who gather 
on the river bank and make a bonfire of dried sugar cane 
or cornstalks and keep watch over us during the night. 
There can be no more interesting and, I am afraid, 
perilous experiment than to put ten human beings on a 
boat for three weeks and bid them enjoy themselves. I 
looked around the boat with a little curiosity as we came 



THK SK \ 







Sir r >tVlife«s.«-'' ^c * ~ k 




^..— l en r fife:> 




VIEW OF THE RIVER NILE. 
Showing the Places Visited bv General Grant. 



281 



282 LIFE or GENERAL GRANT. 

in and began to adjust ourselves to the conditions of our 
trip. Tliere are two things that try friendship — getting 
married and traveling together. You have to dovetail 
each other, to make and receive compromises. Questions 
of coffee and tea and chocolate, of breakfast and luncheon^ 
of amusement and conversation, enter into travel. There 
is the passenger who is never quite well, the passenger 
whose health is a reflection upon others, the passenger 
who worries about the engines and the mails, the passen- 
ger who cannot stand the sea cooking, and compares every 
meal with a famous dinner he once enjoyed at Delmon- 
ico's. Then there is the exasperating passenger, who 
contradicts everybody and is ready to wager. Our little 
party developed none of these eccentricities. So far as th e 
daily and hourly rubbing together was concerned nothing 
came to mar our harmony. We adjusted ourselves to the 
General's modes of life ; and as those were of the simple^!, 
and most considerate character, it involved no sacrifice. 
On the 19th of January, the third day of our journey, 
we came to the town of Sioiit, or Assiout, as some call it. 
Upon arriving the Vice Consul and his son came on boar J 
and were presented to the General. Congratulations were 
exchanged, and we offered our friends coffee and cigars in 
the true Oriental style. The name of our Consul here is 
AVasif el Hay at.. He is a Syrian and a large landed 
])r<)])rietor. He is a grave elderly person, who spoke only 
Arabic, but his son had been educated in Bey rout, at the 
mission schools, and knew English. We all drove to the 
town. It was over parched fields, through a country that 
in more favorable years would, bloom like a garden. But 
the Nile is bad this year, and a bad Nile is a calamity 
second only to a famine in Egypt. We rode into the town 
and through the bazaars. All the town seemed to know of 
our coming, for wherever we went crowds swarmed around 



TOUR AllOUND TiiE WORLD. 



283 



US, and we had to force our donkeys through masses of 
Arabs and Egyptians of all ages and conditions, some al- 
most naked — crowds crying for baksheesh or pressing arti- 
cles of merchandise upon us. The bazaars are narrow cov- 
ered ways, covered with matting or loose boards, enough 




TOMB OF THE KINGS. 



to break the force of the sun. The stores are little cubby 
holes of rooms, in front of which the trader sits and calls 
upon you to buy. As these avenues are not more than 
six feet wide at best, you can imagine what a time we had 
in making our progress. The town had some fine houses 
and mosques, but in the main it was like all tow^is in 
Upper Egypt, a collection of mud hovels. We rode 
beyond the town to the toml)s built in the sand and climb- 
ed the limestone rock on our donkeys. This was our first 
evidence of the manner of sepulture in the olden time. 
These desert rocks of limestone were tunnelled and made 
into rooms, and here the mummied dead found rest. The 



284 LIFE OF GENERAL (tUANT. 

chambers appointed for them were large and spacious, 
according to the means of the deceased. In some that we 
entered there was a chamber, an ante-chamber, and some- 
times connecting chambers. There were inscriptions on 
the walls, but they had been defa3ed. The early Christians 
had deemed it their duty to obey the first commandment 
by removing the representatives of the gods that came in 
their way. The ceilings of the tombs had been once 
d'corated, but modern Christians have deemed it their 
duty to deface them by firing pistol shots. When you 
visit a tomb and note the blue stars and astronomical 
forms that the ancients painted with so much care, it is so 
cunning to try the echo by firing your pistol. Consequent- 
ly the roofs are spotted with bullet marks. Here also 
came the wanderers for shelter, and you see what the fires 
have done. What the tombs may have been in the past, 
when they came fresh from pious, loving hands, you can 
imagine. But what with ancient Christian iconoclasts, 
modern Christian wanderers, Bedouins, Arabs, selling the 
graves for ornaments, nothing remains but empty lime- 
stone rooms filling with sand and a few heiroglyphic 
memorials on the walls. 

We were bidden to an entertainment at the home of 
Wasif el Hayat, and seven being the hour, we set forth. 
We were all anxious about our first Arab entertainment, 
and after some deliberation our naval men concluded to go 
in their uniforms. The Doctor rode ahead in the carriage 
with General and Mrs. Grant and the Consul-General. 
As the Doctor wore his uniform and the others, were in 
plain dress he was welcomed by the awe-stricken Moslems 
as the King of America. Hadden and the rest of us rode 
behind on our trusty and well-beloved donkeys, Hadden 
in uniform, followed by wondering crowds. I suppose he 
was taken for a minor potentate, as in the Oriental eyes 




285 



286 uiFK OF GENERAL GRANT. 

all that lace and gold could not ])e wasted on anything less 
than princely rank. But we all had more or less attention, 
although we could feel that the uniforms were the centre 
of glory, and that we shone with borrowed splendor. As 
we came to the house of Wasif el Hayat, we found a real 
transformation scene. Lanterns lined the street, servants 
stood on the road, holding blazing torches, a transparency 
was over the gate with the words, "Welcome, General 
Grant." The "N" was turned upside down, but that 
made no difference, for the welcome here in far Africa 
made the heart throb quicker. As we rode up, torches 
blamed, rockets went up into the air, various colored lights 
were burned, and we passed into the court3^ard glowing 
with light and color, passed into the house over carpets 
and rugs of heavy texture and gorgeous pattern. Our 
host met us at the gates of his house and welcomed us in 
the stately Oriental way, kissing the General's hand as he 
clasped it in his two hands, and then touching his own 
heart, lips and brow. Here we met the Governor, and, 
more welcome still, the Rev. I. R. Alexander and his wife. 
Mr. Alexander is one of the professors in the missionary 
college and is under the direction of the United Presbyterian 
Church. The dinner came, and it was regal in its profu- 
sion and splendor. I should say there were at least twenty 
courses, all well served. When it was concluded, the son 
of the host arose, and in remarkably clear and correct 
English, proposed the General's health. You will allow 
me, I am sure, to give you a fragment of this speech. 
"Long have we heard and wondered," said the speaker, 
"at the strange progress which America has made during 
this past century, by which she has taken the first position 
among the most widely civilized nations. She has so 
quickly improved in sciences, morals and arts, that the 
world stands amazed at this extraordinary progress which 



TOUll AROUND THE WUUI.D. 



287 



surpasses? the swiftness of lightning. It is to the hard 
work of her great and wise men that all this advance is 
imputed, those who have shown to the world what wise, 
courageous, patriotic men can do. Let all the Avorld look 
to America and follow her example — that nation which 




GROUP OF BEDOUINS. 



has taken as the basis of her laws and the object of her 
undertakings to maintain freedom and equality among her 
own people and secure them for others, avoiding all am- 
bitious schemes which would draw her into bloody and 
disastrous wars, and trying by all means to maintain peace 
internally and externally. The only two great wars upon 
which she has engaged were entered upon for pure and 
just purposes — tbe first for releasing herself from the 



288 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

English yoke and erecting her independence, and the 
other for stopping slavery and strengthening the union of 
the States ; and well we know that it was mainly under 
God due to the talent, courage and wisdom of His Excel- 
lency General Grant, that the latter of the two enterprises 
was brought to a successful issue." The sj^eech closed by a 
tribute to the General and the Khedive. General Grant said 
in response that nothing in his whole trip had so im23ressed 
him as this unexiDected, this generous welcome in the heart 
of Egypt. He had anticij)ated great pleasure m his visit 
to Egypt, and the anticipation had been more than realized. 
He thanked his host and especially the young man who 
had spoken of him with so high praise for their reception. 
The dinner dissolved into coffee, conversation and cigars. 

It was ratlier a long distance to our next place of note, 
Abydos, and Sami Bey had given orders that we should be 
ready at eight for our journey. I am afraid it was quite 
an effort for some of the party whose names shall be with- 
held to heed this command. But the General was first on 
deck and very soon came Mrs. Grant eager and smihng, 
after whom the full company hurried. 

" Here," said Brugsch, as we dismounted and followed 
him into the ruins of the temples, " here we should all 
take off our hats, for here is the cradle, the fountain-head 
of all the civilization of the world." This was a startling 
statement, but Brugsch is a serious gentleman and does 
not make extravagant speeches. Then he told us about 
Abydos, which lay around us in ruins. Abydos is a 
temple which the Khedive is rescuing from the sand. 
The city was in its time of considerable importance, 
but this was ages ago, ages and ages; so that its glory 
was dead even before Tiiebes began to reign. Thebes 
is an old city, and yet I suppose, compared with Thebes, 
Abydos is as much older as one of the buried Aztec towns 




28d 



290 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

in Central America is older than New York. When the 
temple is all dug out we shall find it to have been a stu- 
pendous affair ; but there are other temj^les, too, in better 
condition, and what interests us at Abydos is the city. 
Here, according to tradition — a tradition which Plutarch 
partly confirms — was buried the god Ostris. The discov- 
ery of that tomb will be an event as important in EgyjDtol- 
ogy as even the discovery of America by Columbus in 
his day. In the earliest times it was believed Osiris was 
buried here. To the ancient Egyj^tians the burial place 
of that god was as sacred as Mecca is to the Moslems or 
the Holy Sepulchre to the Mediaeval Christians. The 
government has, therefore, been digging in all directions, 
and we started after Brugsch to see the work. Mrs. Grant 
rode along on her donkey, and the rest of us went in dif- 
ferent directions on foot. There had been troubles in the 
neighborhood — riots arising out of the bad Nile and taxes. 
So we had a guide who hovered around us — one soldier, 
whom we called, in obedience to the law of physical coin- 
cidences. Boss Tweed — keeping watch over the General. 
He was a fat and ragged fellow, with a jolly face. It*was 
quite a walk to the ruins, and the walk was over hills and 
ridges of burning sand. So the Marquis went to the 
village to see if the camels had come bearing the 
luncheon — a subject that was of more value to his practi- 
cal mind than the tomb of a dethroned deity. It was 
an interesting walk, to us especially, as it was our first 
real glimpse of the desert and of an ancient city. The 
General and the writer found themselves together climbing 
the highest of the mounds. It was rather an effort to 
keep our footing on the slippery sand. Beneath us was 
one excavation forty or fifty feet deep. You could see the 
remnants of an old house or old tomb ; millions of frag- 
ments of broken pottery all around. You could see the 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 291 

strata that age after age had heaped upon the buried city. 
The desert had slowly been creeping over it, and in some 
of the strata were marks of the Nile. For years, for 
thousands of years, this mass, which the workmen had 
torn with their S|)ades, had been gathering. The city was 
really a city of tombs. In. the ancient days the devout 
Egyptian craved burial near the tomb of Osiris, and so, 
for centuries, I supj^ose, their remains were brought to 
Abydos from all parts of Egypt. This fact gives special 
value to the excavations, as it gave a special solemnity to 
our view. As we stood on the elevation, talking about 
Egypt and the impressions made upon us by our journey, 
the scene was very striking. There was the ruined tem- 
23le ; here were the gaping excavations filled with bricks 
and pottery. Here were our party, some gathering beads 
and skulls and stones; others having a lark with SauM 
Bey ; others following Mrs. Grant as a body guard, as hei' 
donkey plodded his way along the slopes. Beyond, junfi 
beyond, were rolling plains of shining sand — shining, 
burning sand — and as the shrinking eye followed the plaiiA 
and searched the hills, there was no sign of life ; nothing 
except, perhaps, some careering hawk hurrying to the 
river. It was the apotheosis of death and ruin, a fit man- 
tle for the sepulchred city below. I have seen no scene in 
Egypt more striking than this view from the mounds of 
Abydos. 

The sun was beating with continued fierceness, and we 
kept our way to the cluster of trees and the village. The 
Marquis, with illuminated eyes, informed us that the cam- 
els had come and the luncheon was ready. We sat around 
our modest table and feasted — feasted in the temple sacred 
to the memory of Osiris, and built by the pious munifi- 
cence of Sethi, the king who rests with God. The walk 
had given us an appetite and put us all in high spirits, 



292 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

and we lunched in merry mood. There were toasts to the 
Khedive, to Sami Bey, to the General, and the invariable 
toast which comes from gracious womanly lips — to friends 
and dear ones at home. Then Brugsch told us of Salib, an 
Arabian who had been for twenty years working at the ex- 
cavation. He worked with so much diligence that he had 
become entirely blind, and it was now his only comfort to 
wander about the ruins, direct the workmen, and perhaps 
trace with his finger many a loved inscription that his zeal 
had brought to light. Salib lived near the ruins, on a 
pension allowed by the Khedive, and after luncheon we 
called on him and took our coffee in his house. The 
coffee was served on the roof, while some of us, weary with 
the sun, lay under the shadow of the wall and the date 
trees, and others sat about the courtyard, smoking, and 
Brugsch, who never misses his chance, improved the shin- 
ing hour to coj^y a hieroglyphic inscription. After an 
hour's rest, we went back again, very much as we came. 
But the journey was long, the road was dusty, and when 
we saw the flag flying from our boat, we were, some of us 
at least, a weary, very weary, party. We had ridden fif- 
teen miles on donkeys and walked two or three on the sand, 
and the shelter and repose of the cabin was grateful when 
at last it came. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THEBES LUXOR THE HOME OF RAMESES TEMPLES AND 

STATUES A THEBAN DINNER KARNAK AND ITS WON- 
DERS THE SACRED LAKE WHO WAS RAMESES ? RESEM- 
BLANCE TO LORD BEACON SrrELD MARKS OF THE RACES. 

Our imaginations, as might liave been expected, 
had been dwelling all these days on Thebes. We read it 
up and talked about it, and said, "When we see Thebes, we 
shall see one of the wonders of the world." We learned 
that Thebes was once a city that covered both banks of the 
Nile ; that it was known to Homer as the city of the Hun- 
dred Gates ; that it must have had 300,000 inhabitants, 
and that it sent out 20,000 armed chariots. It was famed 
for its riches and splendor until it was besieged. There 
Avas a temple of Memnon and the colossal statue which used 
to sino- its oracles when the sun rose. Here was to be found 
the palace temple of the great Kameses, the only ruin in 
Egypt known to have been the home of a king. Here 
we would see the columns of Luxor, the twin obelisk to the 
one now in Paris, the stupendous ruins of Karnak and the 
tombs of the kings. Thebes alone would repay us for our long 
journeyings; and we talked about Sesostris and the Phara- 
ohs in a familiar manner, as though they knew we were com- 
ing, and would be at home. And when we became a little 
hazy on our history and could not get our kings exactly 
straight, and were not sure whether Sesostris was in the 
nineteenth or the twenty-ninth dynasty, we always fell 
back on Brugsch, who knew all the dynasties and was an 
ever-running spring of information, and always as gentle 

(293) 



294 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



and willing as he was learned. By the time we approached 
Thebes we were well out of that stage and were well up in 
our Rameses, and knew all about Thebes, the mighty, 
the magnificent Thebes, the city of a world's renown, of 
which we had been reading and dreaming all these years. 
And as Brugsch, leaning over the rail, talked about 




KUINS AT THEBES 



Thebes, we listened and watched through the clear air for 
the first sign of its glory. There were the mountains 
beyond, the very mountains of which we had read, and 
there was the plain. But where was Thebes ? We looked 
through our gUisses and saw at first only the brown caver- 
ned hills, the parched fields and the shining sand. We 
looked again, and there, sure enough, were the colossal 
statues ofMemnon, two broken pillars so they seemed, 
with a clump of trees near them. Only the field, the sand 
and the hills beyond, only the same cluster of hovels on 
on the shore and the two distant columns. This was all 
that remained of the glory of the city that was the glory 
of the ancient world. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 293 

There was one, at least, in that small company whose 
imagination fell, and who could scarcely believe that so 
much splendor could only be this barren plain. 

The town of Luxor, as it is called, is really a collection 
of houses that have fastened upon the ruins of the old 
temple. This temple is near the river, and has a fine 
fa§ade. It was built by Amunoph III. and Rameses IL, 

In the morning we made ready for our trip to 
Memnon and the temple home of Eameses. We set out 
early in the morning — early, at least, for a party of idle 
voyagers who did not crave a reputation for rising. We 
had to cross the river, our boatmen singing their Arab 
music. And when we landed on the other shore, we had, 
thanks to the forethought of our consul at Thebes, a col- 
lection of stable donkeys, with a well mounted horse for 
the General. We were a little time getting underway. 
There was the escort of serving men with the luncheons 
on camels, who pushed ahead. Then came the General 
and his party. The party was composed of fifteen, as we 
had with us the Consul, the Governor of the province, 
the Marquis and Hassan. But as every donkey had two 
donkey boys, with a couple of girls, carrying water on 
their heads, running at your side — as there was a sheik, in 
stately turban, and five or six soldiers on guard — and a 
crowd crying for baksheesh and offering antiquities for 
sale, our tourists' group grew to be quite an army, and as 
we trailed over the plain we looked like a caravan. The 
antiquity dealers and water girls swarmed around us so 
that it was difficult to ride with comfort, and Hassan, who 
has practical ways of settling problems, went among them 
with a stick. Hassan's energy, however, brought his good 
name into peril, for the idea of beating the nimble, ragged 
maidens who flocked about us and filled the air with dust 
was revolting to the lady of the expedition, who summoned 

19 



296 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Hassan before her aud forbade him to beat the children. 
Hassan, who is as kindly a being as ever carried a scimeter, 
explained that he only wanted to frighten them and did 
not beat anybody. I quite believed him, for in the race 
the water girls, who were as nimble as a gazelle, would leave 
Hassan, who is stout and slow, far behind in no time. So, as 
a preventive measure, Hassan was instructed to make public 
announcement that unless the water girls and donkey boys 
and antiquity peddlers remained far behind where they 
would not raise the- dust, they should have no baksheesh, 
Hassan made this terrible proclamation from his donkey 
with many gesticulations and shaking of his stick ; and so 
we kept on with moderate comfort and peace. But every 
now and then some one of the damsels would steal up to 
your side under pretense of offering you water and coax 
you with the large black wondering eyes, so that resistance 
was impossible, and in this way we came to Memnon. 

All that is left of IMemnonism are the two colossal statues, 
the one to the north being the statue that, according to the 
historians and j)riests, used to utter a sound every morning 
when the sun rose. The statue is silent enough now, and is a 
monolith about fifty feet high . A good part oft he base is bu r- 
ied in the earth, but they loom up over the plain and may 
be seen — as, in fact, we did see them— miles and miles 
away. You may have an idea of the size when you know 
that the statue measures 18 feet 3 inches across the shoul- 
ders, 16 feet G mches from the top of the shoulder to the 
elbow, and the other portions of the body in due projDor- 
tion. No* trace can be found of the cause of the vocal 
sunrise phenomenon. One theory is that the priests used 
to climb into a recess in the body of the statue and perform 
a juggler's trick. I do not think so badly of thp. Egyptian 
priests, who, I suppose, were good men in their way, and 
not charlatans. You might find one j^riest in a multitude 








■ 



297 



298 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



capable of climbing into a recess and calling upon the 
peo[)le to pay pew rent or tithes or something of the kind. 
But this sound continued for generations, and I do not 
believe you could find generations of priests carrying on 
the deception for years and years; so I dismiss that theory 
and take another which Brugsch explains to us. The 
statue would be moist with dew at sunrise, and the sun's 
rays acting upon the dew w^ould cause it to emit a sound 
like an interrupted chord of music; just such a sound as 
you hear from a sea shell if you hold it to your ear. As 




EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE. 



the sun is sure to shine every morning on these plains you 
could be certain that such a phenomenon would recur 
daily. I can well imagine how a freak of nature might 
be taken as the voice of the gods, and how humble priests 
would bow down to it and not enter into scientific specula- 
tions. After the statue had been tossed by an earthquake 
and riven the music ceased, which only confii-m me in 
doing justice to the poor priests. After we had ridden 
around the Memnon statue and its companion — around 
and around them, so as to see them from all sides and have 
a full sense of their immensity — after we had rested a half 
hour in the grateful shade of the column, for the day was 



TOUR AEOUND THE WORLD. 299 

warm and severe, we made our way to the neighboring 
temple of Medeenet Habro. Our ride to this temple was 
over a mass of sand and rubbish. But near it was a shel- 
tering grove of date palms, and the INIarquis, whose prac- 
tical mind is never disturbed by any ruins, however 
ancient, quietly informed us, as an encouragement under 
the beating sun, that we were to have luncheon. 

We had seen Thebes, we had even begun to grow 
weary of it. There was a dinner in State which had to be 
eaten. The General was tired and concluded he would 
not go. He had been riding all day to Memnon, the 
temple, and back again, and we were all dusty and tired, 
But when the General's regret was sent, our Arab host 
was so sad about it and so apprehensive lest his fellow 
consuls, who knew the General had dined with other 
consuls on the way, might misconstrue his absence. So 
the General went in state or in as much state as we can as- 
sume in this region, our naval friends in full uniform. 
When we went to our Theban dinner, the Doctor was il I, 
and the honor fell upon Hadden, who blazed in gold, and 
whom the waiters were with the utmost difficulty prevented 
from helj^ing as the honored guest. Our dinner w^as served 
in the upper chamber of the house, and the host sat on 
one side of the table in a state of constant alarm, that 
made us quite sympathize with him. He was an Egyptian, 
with a keen, kind, swarthy face, with a slight gray beard, 
who had never been north of Thebes in his life, and had 
never drank anything but Nile water. I suppose the 
honor of entertaining the Chief Magistrate of the United 
States, and the fear lest he might not do us all the honor 
he wished, opj^ressed him, and he sat in anxiety and alarm. 
The dinner was a stupendous affair, course after course in 
Oriental profusion, until we could not even pay the dishes 
the compliment of tasting them. Then came the coffee 



300 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



and the pipes. During the dinner, which was composed of 
the host and our own party, we had music. A group of 
Arab minstrels came in and squatted on the floor. The 
leader of the band — I should say about a half dozen — was 
blind, but his skill in handling his instrument was notable. 
It was a rude instrument, of the violin class, the body of it 
a cocoanut shell. He held it on the ground and played 
with a bow, very much as one would play a violoncello. 
He played love songs and narratives, and under the 
promptings of Sami Bey went through all the grades of 
his art. But whether the theme was love or war, there 
came that sad refrain, that motive of despair, that seemed 
to speak from the soul and to tell of the unending misery 
of their race. Mr. Jesse Grant, who has a taste for music, 
was quite interested in the performance, and sought to 
teach the minstrels some of our European and American 
airs. One of them was the " Marsellaise." The Arab 
listened to it and tried again and again to follow the notes. 
He would follow for a few bars and break down, break 
into the same mournful cadence which had been the bun- 
den of his melody. It seemed strange, this burdened and 
beaten slave trying to grasp that wild, brave, bold anthem 
which spoke the resolve of a nation to be free. It was 
beyond and above him. The music of the Marsellaise was 
aever intended for the Lybian desert. If these people, 
oppressed and driven as they are, should ever come to 
know it, there will be hope for this land of promise, which 
has so long been the land of sorrow and servitude. 

We Avere to see the wonder of the world in Karnak, 
The journey to Karnak is only about forty minutes' ride 
from Luxor, and does not involve crossing the river. I 
was grateful to the Vice Consul for sending us the same 
group of donkeys who had borne us to Memnon. And 
when I ivscended the hill, there was my friend Mohammed 



TOUll AROUND THE WORLD. 



301 



AH jumping, and calling and pushing liis donkey toward 
me. A good donkey has much to do with the pleasure of 
your journey, and Mohammed All's was a patient, sure- 
footed little thing that it made me almost ashamed to ride. 
We set out early, because it was commanded by Sami Bey 
that we should return to the boat and breakfast, and while 
at breakfast steam up the river. 





JHSSESZ 



KARNAK. 



I cannot tell you when the Temple of Karnak was 
built. You see, in this matter of chronology authorities as 
high as Wilkinson, Bunsen and Mariette differ sometimes 
as much as a thousand years in a single date. But my 
own opinion is that Brugsch knows all about it, and he 
places the first builduag three thousand years before Christ. 
Karnak, which was not only a temple, but one in the 
series of temples which constituted Thebes, is about a half 
mile from the river, a mile or two from the Temple of 



302 LIFE OF GENERAL GPtA]S^T. 

Luxor. The front wall or propylon in 370 feet broad, 50 
feet deep, and tlie standing tower 140 feet high. Leading 
up to this main entrance is an avenue, lined with statues 
and sphinxes, 200 feet long. When you enter this gate, 
you enter an open courtyard, 275 feet by 329. There is a 
corridor or cloister on either side ; in the middle a double 
line of columns, of which one only remains. You now 
come to another wall, or propylon, as large as the entrance, 
and enter the great hall — the most magnificent ruin in 
Egypt. The steps of the door are 40 feet by 10. The 
room is 170 feet by 329, and the roof was supported by 
134 columns. These columns are all or nearly all stand- 
ing, but the roof has gone. Twelve are 62 feet high with- 
out the plinth, and 11 feet 6 inches in diameter. One 
hundred and twenty-two are 42 feet 5 inches in height and 
28 feet in circumference. They were all brilliantly col- 
ored and some of them retain the colors still ; and you can 
well imagine what must have been the blaze of light and 
color when the kings and priests passed through in solemn 
procession. We pass through another gate into an open 
court. Here is an obelisk in granite seventy-five feet high, 
and the fragments of another, its companion. The inscrij^- 
tions on them are as clear as though they had been cut 
yesterday, so gentle is this climate in its dealings with 
Time. They celebrate the victories and virtues of the 
kings who reigned 1700 years before Christ, and promise 
the kings, in the names of the immortal gods, that their 
glory shall live for ages. We pass into another chamber 
very much in ruins and see another obelisk, ninety-two 
feet high and eight square — the largest in the world. This 
monument commemorates the virtues of the kino-'s dau^h- 

o o 

ter, womanly and queenly virtues which met their reward, 
let us hope, thirty-five centuries ago. You may form some 
idea of what the Egyptians could do in the way of median- 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



303 



ics and engineering when you know tliat thin obelisk is a 
single block of granite, that it was brought from the quarry 
miles and miles away, erected and inscribed in seven 
months. The next room was the sanctuary, the holy of 
holies, and is now a mass of rubbish requiring nimble feet 
to climb. You scramble over stones and sand until you 
come to what was the room where King Thothmes III., 
who lived sixteen centuries before Christ, was rej^resented 
as giving offerings to fifty-six of his royal predecessors. 
The hall is a ruin, and some French Vandals carried of! 
the tablet — one of the most valuable in Egypt — to Paris. 
Altogether the building stone was 1,108 feet long and 
about 300 wide, the circuit around the outside, according 
to a Eoman historian who saw it in its glory, being about 
a mile and a half. 





EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTION— EGYPTIAN WARRIORS HASTENING! 

TO BATTLE. 

This is the temple, but the temple was only a part. 
There were three avenues leading from it to the other 
temples. These avenues were lined with statues, large and 
small, generally of the Sphinx. I saw numbers of them 
sitting in their ancient places slowly crumbling to ruin. 
There were two colossal statues at the door, now lying on 



304 LIFE OF GEXERAL GlIAXT. 

the earth an uncouth mass of granite. One of them was 
ahnost buried in the sand, the ear being exposed. You can 
fancy how large it must have been when you know this 
ear was a foot long at least. Near the obelisk, some dis- 
tance from the temple, is a pool of water, on the banks of 
which black children are scampering and shouting " Bak- 
sheesh, howadji." This was the Sacred Lake. This lake 
had an important office in the religion of the old Egypt- 
ians. When an Egyptian died and was embalmed, his 
body was brought to the lake. The procession was a sol- 
emn one — mourners throwing dust on their heads, a priest 
sprinkling water from a brush dipped in a vase, very much 
as Catholic priests sj^rinkle holy w^ater; attendants throw- 
ing palms on the ground, others carrying fruits and meats, 
incense and ostrich feathers. The coffin w^as borne on a 
sledge until it came to this lake. Here were forty-two 
judges, men who had known the deceased. Here w^as the 
boat, the sacred boat that was to carry the body to the 
other shore. If it could be shown to these judges that the 
deceased had been an ungodly man, that his life had been 
a scandal, then he was denied sepulture. If it was shown 
that he had lived worthily, and the judges so decided, then 
all weeping ceased, eulogies were pronounced upon his 
memory, the body was carried to the other shore, and from 
thence removed to the catacombs to rest in honor and 
peace — in peace, at least, until Arab peasants rummaged 
their graves and made merchandise of their coffins and 
grave clothes, their ornaments and tokens, their very 
bones, just as these greasy Arabs who swarm about our 
donkeys are doing at this very hour. 

Wherever we find walls, we have inscrij^tions. The 
inscriptions are in hieroglyphic language — a language as 
clear to scholars now as the Latin or the Sanscrit. Brugsch 
reads them off to us as glibly as though he were reading 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



305 



signs from a Bowery store. The stories will hardly bear 
repetition, for they are the same that we saw at Denclerah, 
at Abydos, all through Egypt. They tell of battles and 
the glory of the King, Kameses, who is supposed to be the 
Sesostris of the Greeks. We have him leading his men to 
attack a fortified place. Again we see him leading foot 
soldiers and putting an enemy to the sword. We have him 
leading his captives as an offering to the gods — and offer- 




EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTION— STORMING A CITY, 

ing not only prisoners, but booty of great value. The 
groups of prisoners are rudely done, but you see the type 
of race clearly outlined. AVe know the Hebrew by the 
unmistakable cast of features — as marked as the face of 
Lord Beaconsfield. We trace the Phoenician, the Estruscan, 
as well as the negro types from Ethiojiia, and thus learn 
of the warlike achievements of this thirty century mon- 
arch, whose fame is carved all over Egypt, and about whose 
name there is an interesting debate. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

STILL ASCENDING THE NILE — KENEH — EASTERN POTTERY — 

DOMESTIC LIFE A VISIT TO THE PACHA ASSONAN THE 

BAZAARS MAKING PURCHASES PHIL^ — ON BOARD A 

DAIIABEEAH MEMPHIS THE SERAPEUM MARIETTE BAY 

AMONG THE TOMBS FAREWELL TO THE CITY OF 

MEMPHIS. 

Continuing their journey up the Nile, one of the party 
writes, on tlie 31st of January, as follows: — 

One visit worth noting was made to the town of 
Keneh. AYe tied up to the bank in our summary way, just 
as the wayfaring horseman dismounts and ties his horse to 
a tree. There is no question of wharves or quays or per- 
mission. When we tied, we all went ashore and picked out 
oar donkeys. The boys had seen our smoke far down the 
river, and were there to meet us. The town was a mile or 
so off, and we rode over the plain. It was a sad sight, and 
Sami Bey told us what a calamity this bad Nile meant to 
Egypt. When the Nile rises in its season and floods the 
fields, only departing when it leaves the richness that it 
brought all the way from Central Africa, then Egypt is 
rich. The ground teems with fatness, and I could well 
believe Sami Bey when he told us how he had ridden from 
the river bank to the town through fields of corn and 
sugar cane, through fields of waving, living, joyous green. 
To-day the fields are parched and brown and cracked. 
The irrigating ditches are dry. You see the stalk stumps 
of the last season's crop. But with the exception of a few 

(306) 



TOUR ABOUND THE WORLD. 307 

clusters of the castor bean and some weary, drooping date 
palms, the earth gives forth no fruit. A gust of sand blows 
over the plain and adds to the sombreness of the scene. 
Here are hundreds of thousands of acres which, in a good 
year, would give generous crops. Now they give nothing, 
and the people who till them must be fed. A bad Nile, 
therefore, means bad times for the people and bad times 
for the Government. For when there are no crops there 
are no taxes, and even an Egyptian taskmaster could not 
force barren fields to j^ay revenue to the Khedive's treas- 
ury. It is safe to say that a bad Nile costs Egypt millions 
and millions of dollars. The people must live on last 
year's grain, and instead of helping the Government, must 
be helped by the Government. When you remember that 
the Khedive is under many burdens — the burden of an 
enormous debt, the interest of which is in default; a 
burden of a contingent in the Turkish army which he 
must support, the burden of the annual tribute to the 
Sultan, over $3,500,000 a year, you can understand the 
calamity of a bad Nile and why it is that most of the civil 
and military officers are in arrears for their salary — some 
of them for a year. Happily such a calamity as a bad 
Nile does not often occur. If it hapj^ened for two or three 
continuous years a famine would be the result. If the 
Nile ceased its office Egypt would have to be abandoned 
and these fertile plains given over to the desert. In fact, 
Egypt is only an annual struggle between the river and 
the desert. If ever the river surrenders, Egypt will be- 
come a barren, treeless plain of rocks and sand. 

The sand was blowing heavily as we entered Keneli. 
We had not been expected, so there were no ceremonies, 
and we could wander as we pleased. We dismounted 
under a grove of trees and went on foot into the town, our 
donkeys and donkey boys following after. We strolled 



308 



LIFE OF GENERAL GEAN'T. 



through the bazaars, which meant that we crowded our 
way through narrow, dusty passages where the tradesman 
sold his wares. The assortment was not varied — beads, 
grain, cloths, dates, pipes and trinkets. We went into one 
house where the potter was busy over his wheel. In Keneh 
pottery is an industry. The clay makes a fragile, porous 
vessel, through which the water evaporates in summer, 
acting as a filter and a water cooler. These vessels are 




POTTEK AT WUKK. 



grateful in the summer days, and there is quite a trade in 
them between Keneh and Lower Egypt. We had observed 
coming up rafts of stone jars, bound together with 
boughs, floating down the stream, very much as the old 
flatboats used to float down the Mississippi to New Orleans, 
laden with AVestern produce. The jars kept their own 
Inioyancy, and one raft would require not more than three 
or four men to ply it. The potter was very skilful. His 
child moistened the clay, and with deft fingers he fashioned 
it into form — into graceful lines and curving shapes, show- 
ing artistic sense. The cheaj^ness of the work when done 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 809 

was amazing. The retail price was about eighty cents a 
hundred for small jars useful for the table. We went into 
a mill where the corn was grinding. It was the same 
process that we read about in the Bible — the horse going 
round and round, the grain crushing between an ui3j)er 
and nether stone and running into a pail. We went into 
one of the houses of the common people. Hassan led the 
way, and there was evidently no intrusion. A morsel of 
backsheesh would atone for any invasion of domestic 
privacy. 

The house was a collection of rooms ; the walls made 
of dried mud and bricks. It was one story high, thatched 
with straw. The floor was the ground. The walls were 
clay. In one room was the donkey, in another the cow — 
a queer kind of buffalo cow, that looked up at us as we 
went in. In another room slept the members of the family. 
There was neither bed nor chair nor table. They slept on 
the ground or on palm leaves, like the donkey. They sat 
on the ground for meals and ate out of the same dish. 
The woman was sitting over a fire on which she was roast- 
ing some kind of grain. The children were sj^rawling 
about her. The woman was a Copt and not doomed to 
Moslem seclusion. The father stood at the door grinning 
and waiting for baksheesh. The welcome was as cordial 
as possible, but I suj^pose there were not a thousand slaves 
in the South who Avere not better housed than these free 
Egyptian citizens. Their life was virtually that of a 
savage, but they all seemed happy and cheerful enough. 
In this land Nature is the friend of the poor. You can 
sleep on the ground every night of the year secure from 
rain. You can array yourself in the scantiest of raiment 
free from the cold. You can live on dates and sugar cane, 
and, as far as the real ailments that come from want and 
misery with us are concerned, they are not known in 



310 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



Egypt. The people are well made, well formed, with 
unusual powers of endurance, and naturally light. I 
would like to see any of our laboring men at home run up 
and down the Pyramid of Cheops in eight minutes, as I 
saw an Arab do for a franc. And we have no dam.sels 
among our own dear, tender, lovely maidens at home who 
could run at your donkey's side for miles and miles, bal- 
ancing a pitcher of water on their heads and showing no 
signs of fatigue. 




AN ARCH NEAR KENEH. 



We thought we had the town to ourselves to stroll and 
wander where we listed, when there came one to us in 
haste to say that the Pacha who governed this province 
had heard of our coming and would like to see us at the 
palace. And the General, who is as obliging a soul as 
one of the laden camels we are constantly passing, said he 
would call on the Pacha. We threaded our way to the 
palace, which was a low brick building, like a barracks. 
The messenger evidently did not expect so prompt an 
answer to his summons, as we saw him running ahead to 
tell his lord that we were coming — coming almost on his 
heels. We passed under a grateful row of trees, through 



TOUR AUOUND THE WORLD. 311 

an open space where soldiers were lounging about, and into 
the cool, open rooms of the palace. We were shown into 
the reception chamber and ranged on the divan. There 
was a long pause. The Governor was no doubt enjoying 
a siesta, and had to rub the sleep out of his eyes or don 
his uniform. In time he came, a stout, pleasant-looking, 
gray moustached soldier, in his full uniform as general. 
We had surprised him, of course, and he had to dress. 
He received the General with grave courtesy, and there 
was the usual exchange of com23liments and talk about 
the weather. The General varied the conversation by 
expressing his regret that the bad Nile was on the people, 
and hoping for a good Nile. When this was translated, 
as the Pacha only spoke Arabic, he threw up his eyes 
¥rith a gesture of devotion, saying, " If Ood wills it, and 
may He will it." Then came the coffee and the pipes, and 
we set forth. The Governor said he would accompany us 
in our walk, which he did. He directed that the state 
donkeys should be saddled, and they came after us. We 
then called upon the German Consul, who waylaid us and 
begged that we should honor his house. This officer lived 
in a style approaching splendor, and when we were served 
with pipes and coffee we noticed that the pipe stems were 
of amber, garnished with diamonds, and the coffee cups 
were of the finest porcelain, in cases of silver and gold. 
These ceremonies over, we came back to the boat through 
a gust of sand. The General rode one of the Pacha's 
donkeys. 

Assouan was to be the end of our journey, the turning 
point of our Nile trip. Assouan is the frontier station of 
old Egypt, on the boundary of Nubia. All these days 
we had been pressing toward the Equator, and we began 
to see the change. Assouan is a pretty town — to my mind 
prettier than any I had seen on the Nile. 

20 



312 LIFE OF GENERAL GliANT. 

Of Assouan, in the way of useful information, it Is 
sufficient to say that it is a town of 4,000 inhabitants, 580 
miles south of Cairo, 730 south of the Mediterranean. It 
used to be supposed that the town lay directly under the 
Equator. In the ancient days Assouan was a quarry, and 
here were found the stones which became obelisks, temples 
and tombs. Assouan's history is associated more with 
Arabian than Egyptian history. AVhen Islam was march- 
ing to conquer the world, the Saracens made a town here 
and an outpost. 

In these days Assouan flourishes as one of the depots 
of the desert trade. Here the caravans came from Ethi(i- 
pia, and you find traces of desert merchandise among the 
bazaars. We visited the bazaars, ]\Irs. Grant and the 
writer doing some shopping, and Hassan going ahead with 
his stick, commanding all loyal subjects of the Khedive f.o 
fall back and make way for the pilgrims. There were no 
bones and no antiquities for sale at Assouan, a fact that I 
note with gratitude. But there was honest merchandise of 
a humble sort — ostrich feathers, ivory, gum arable, skins, 
ebony clubs, silver rings, lances and crockery. What 
carried us to the bazaars was the ostrich feather. This con- 
summate plume of our modern civilization is brought here 
in caravans from the desert. The best feathers are those 
which come from wild birds — those trained and tamed, as 
in Southern Africa giving our a flimsier and coarser fibred 
feather. I never knew there was so much in an ostrich 
feather until I found myself the silent partner of Mrs. 
Grant in the markets of Assouan. I also learned some 
valuable hints as to the way of doing business. In our 
prosy country you walk into a store, you pay your money, 
you pick up your handkerchief or New Testament, or 
whatever it may be, and walk away. You ask no ques- 
tions, and it is very probable if you did you would have nc 



TOUR AEOUND THE WORLD. 313 

answers. The Arab sits in his cubbyliole smokmg his 
])ipe. His cubbyhole is about six feet square and two feet 
from the ground. He sits with his legs crossed, and some- 
times he is reading the Koran. Here he sits for hours 
and hours, unconscious of the world, perhaps sustained by 
that fine Moslem precept which I submit to friends at home 
as a panacea for bankruptcy, that whatever is is the will 
of God, and if it is His holy will that no one comes and 
buys, then blessed be God, the only God, and Mohammed, 
the prophet of God. 

You come and turn over his goods. He studies you 
over and over. He calculates your power of resistance as 
though you were a mechanical force. If you are alone you 
become an easy prey. The people were all so poor, so 
ragged, so naked, and what they asked was, after all, so 
small that she was always disposed to pay more than w?is 
asked. But -in our bargains here we are thrown back 
upon Hassan's Arabic. You turn over your feathers arid 
hold them to the light and turn them over and over again. 
Finally, you select a bunch and bid Hassan buy them. 
Hassan picks them up, layg them down and picks them up 
again, as though there might be worse feathers, but he 
had never seen them; that he was selecting a feather 
museum and wanted a few specimens of the worst in the 
world. The dealer calmly looked on at this pantomime. 
Hassan asks in a contemptuous tone the price. He mur- 
murs the price — five or six Napoleons, let us say. " Five 
or six Napoleons ! " cries Hassan, throwing up his hands 
and eyes, tossing the feathers at the feet of the cross-legged 
Moslem and turning towards us with an expression of 
rage and wonder at the exorbitance of the price, and call- 
ing upon all around to witness that he was being swindled. 
" Well, but, Hassan," says our lady, as she takes up the 
rejected feathers, New York price lists running in her 



314 LIFE OF GENERAL GllANT. 

mind, " I don't think five or six Napoleons such an exor- 
bitant price, for the feathers are good feathers." You see 
the poor merchant does look so poor, and he cannot sell 
many feathers in Assouan, and, of couse, he has children 
and so — and so. 

But this is the way trade is ruined, Hassan evidently 
thinks, but is too dutiful to say. So he explains that they 
always ask two prices, sometimes three or four, and that if 
we would all grow angry and throw down the feathers and 
walk aAvay after him the merchant would follow us even to 
the boat and ask us to name our price. Well, we appre- 
ciate Hassan's motives, but we want to buy the feathers 
and not perform a comedy, and the trade goes on, Hassan 
laboring under the disadvantage of our not having acted 
as a proper chorus to his rage. I have do doubt that lack 
of proper support cost us in the end, for our Moslem 
tradesman evidently saw that it was God'» will that we 
sliould buy the feathers. The trade proceeds. Hassan 
talks louder and louder and appeals to the crowd. As he 
talks in Arabic we only understand him as we would a 
pantomime. Finally the son of Islam asks what would 
the gracious lady give? "Well," says Mrs. Grant, "I want 
to give what is right." We name a price, say four Napo- 
leons. Then the merchant breaks into a pantomime. He 
takes the feathers angrily out of our hands. He, too, ad- 
dresses the audience — and by this time there is an audi- 
ence — upon the feathers. He holds them up and droops 
them into a waving, dainty plume. "Look at them! See 
liow they shine! Look at their tints — white and gray and 
black! Such feathers were never seen in Assouan; they 
came from the far desert; they would be cheap at a hun- 
dred Napoleons." We suggest to Hassan^after this address 
that we might as well go elsewhere ; that a faith so firmly 
fixed would not move. "Wait a little," Hassan says; "he 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 315 

will take the four Napoleons, and would take three if we 
had offered them." So the debate goes on in fury, the 
ano-er increasing, until Hassan says four Napoleons will 
buy the feathers. We pay the money and go to the boat 
with our plumes. When we thank Hassan for his services, 
he intimates that if we had let him alone, he would have 
bought them for two Napoleons. 

It was very warm wdien we gathered under the trees to 
make ready for our journey. Sami Bey had hurried us, 
and the General was, as he always is, the first at his post. 
The Governor was there, and there was a suspicion, his 
clothes looked so neat and without wrinkles, that he had 
sat up all night to keep them nice. He brought the Gen- 
eral a despatch from Gordon Pacha, the famous English 
officer who has been made Governor-General of the Pro- 
vinces of the Equator by the Khedive, and wdio is now at 
Khartoum. But we are just within his provinces, and he 
sends his message of welcome, one great soldier greeting 
another. The General returns his thanks and we mount. 
The General is in luck this morning. The Governor has 
provided him-with an Arabian steed — one of the animals 
about which poets write. This horse was worthy of a 
poem, and the General expresses his admiration at its lines 
and paces, saying he had never seen a better horse. Its 
trappings are regal, and a smile of satisfaction breaks over 
the General's face as he gathers the reins in his hand and 
feels the beatings of his animal's flanks. Sami Bey sug- 
gests that perhaps the General should pace the horse up 
and down, with an attendant to hold him, to see if he is 
perfectly safe and comfortable. 

Now, Sami Bey is as good a soul as ever lived, and 
always trying to make everything pleasant, and while he 
is sure about donkeys, has doubts about this splendid 
prancing steed. But our General is famous as a horseman 



316 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT 

in a land flimous for liorsemanshij), and smilingly says, 
" If I can mount a horse, I can ride him, and all the at- 
tendants can do is to keep away." We set out in proces- 
sion, our little trailing army in the usual order of march, 
the General ahead, Mrs. Grant at his side or near him, 
securely mounted on her donkey, the Marquis and Hassan 
near her, should, evil fall . 

So we rode along the bank and dismounted, and em- 
barked on a dahabeeah, which was to ferry us over. This 
dahabeeah is under the control of a sheik, whose duty is 
to carry vessels up and down the cataracts. For seventy 
years, man and boy, he has done this work, and as he 
stood by the rail looking on, his turbaned head, his swarthy 
face tinged with gray, and his flowing robes, he looked 
quite handsome and venerable. He had a crew of twenty- 
five, including the children. There was a minor charac- 
ter in baggy clothes who gave orders, but the old man was 
a moral influence, and he watched every jDhase and rij^ple 
of the stream. I should like to have interviewed the sheik. 
A man who has spent seventy years in these Nubian soli- 
tudes, striving with a mad, eccentric river, must have 
thought well on many grave problems. But my resources 
in strange tongues do not include Arabic ; and so I am 
debarred. But we are now moving along the stream and 
wayward currents encompass us, and the sheik is no longer 
a mere moral influence, but an active power. He shouts 
and gesticulates and the crew all shout in a chorus, ending 
with an odd refrain, something like a prolonged moan. It 
is quite stirring, this strife with the currents ; and, although 
the sun beats with all of his power upon us, we stand upon 
the deck and watch. The General greatly admired 
the seamanship of the Arabs — an admiration which 
is justified by the manner in which, surging through 
the perils of the stream, we nestle under the temple walls 
of Philse. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 317 

We land, not without an effort, and climb into the 
ruin. Philae is not specially interesting as a temple after 
you have seen Thebes and Abydos. I can think of noth- 
ing useful to say about it except that as a ruin it is pictur- 
esque. Nature comes as an aid. The temples we have 
been visiting have been mainly in the sand, on the desert. 
But here we are in volcanic regions. Around us are piles 
of granite rock. The island is green and the date palms 
salute us as we pass. There are flowers, and, instead of 
bulging and sliding through sand, step trippingly over 
stones and turf. In the sanctuary we note three young 
Germans eating lunch. We pass to the other bank to see 
the cataract. This is one of the features of the Nile. The 
river here spreads into various channels and runs over 
recks. One channel is used for vessels ascending the 
stream, the other for vessels descending the stream. The 
one before us is not more than a (Quarter of a mile long. 
The river is narrow, the banks are steep, and the stream 
rolls and dashes like a sea, the waves lashing the banks 
and roaring. I should call the cataract simply a narrow, 
heavy sea. The danger in navigating is from the rocks 
and being dashed against the banks. It is a relief, fresh 
from five hundred miles of easy, placid sailing, the river 
as smooth as a pond, to see it in this angry mood. While 
we are here we note men swimming toward us, each man 
on a log, with a garment tied to the head. They are na- 
tives who propose to run the rapids for our amusement. 
They swim, or rather hold on to a log and propel them- 
selves into the current. It is hazardous enough, for the 
current sweeps like a torrent, and the least want of nerve 
would dash the swimmer against the rocks. But they go 
through bravely enough and come out into the smooth 
water below. Each swimmer, carrying his log on his 
shoulder, then approaches for his customary baksheesh. 



518 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

We next mounted for our last sight-seeing on the Nile. 
Our ride to Memphis was a pleasant one, a part of it being 
through the desert. We passed close to the pyramid of 
Memphis, which is only an irregular, zig-zag mass of 
stones. Brugsch tells us it is very old, but with no 
especial historical virtue. The ruins of Memphis are two 
or three tombs and the serapeum or mausoleum of the 
sacred bulls. One of the tombs w^as open, and we went 
through it, noting, as we had so often before, the minute- 
ness and care of the decoration. There were other tombs, 
but to prevent the modern travelers from breaking them 
to pieces they were covered with sand. What a comment 
upon our civilization that Egypt can only preserve her 
tombs and monuments from Christian Vandals by burying 
them ! 

We then made our way to the Serapeum. While on 
our journey we heard the story of the discovery of this 
remarkable monument. Mariette Bey, who still serves 
the Khedive, was directing excavations, and especially at 
Memphis. He had long believed that the tomb of the 
bulls could be found. So here he came and lived, working 
in the sand for two or three years, with a blind faith in 
his theory. You cannot imagine anything more unsatis- 
factory or discouraging than this digging in the sand. In 
an hour or a day a wind may come up and undo the work 
of months. Mariette Bey had his own discouragements, 
but he kept courageously on and was rewarded by the dis- 
covery of the most important of the Egyptian monuments. 
We heard this story as we groped our w^ay dow^n to the 
tombs. We entered a long arched passage with parallel 
passages. Candles had been placed at various points. 
On each side of this passage were the tombs. Each tomb 
wiis in its alcove. The bull was placed in a huge granite 
aarcophagus, the surface finely polished and covered with 




319 



320 I^IFE OF GENEllAL GRANT. 

inscriptions. These coffins were stupendous, and it is a 
marvel how such a mass of granite could have been moved 
through this narrow channel and into these arches. We 
lit a magnesium wire and examined one or two very care- 
fully. The tombs had all been violated by the early con- 
querors, Persians and Arabs, to find gold and silver. In 
most cases the cover had been shoved aside enough to 
allow a man to enter. In others the sides had been broken 
in. The inside was so large that four of our party climbed 
up a ladder and descended. There was room for three 
or four more. There were tombs enough to show that the 
bull had been worshipped for centuries. When w^e finished 
this study we rode back to our boat. The sun was going 
down as we set out on our return, and as we were passing 
through a fertile bit of Egypt — a part not affected by the 
bad Nile — the journey was unusually pleasant. After the 
parched fields and sandy stretches of the Upper Nile, it 
was grateful to bathe in the greenery of this Memphis 
plain, to see the minarets of Cairo in the distance, to feel 
that we were coming back to our old civilization. The sky, 
lit up with the rosiest tints, one mass of the softest rose 
and pink — a vast dome glowing with color. Starless, 
cloudless, sunless it was that brief twilight hour, which 
we have seen so often on the Nile and the memory of 
which becomes a dream. I have seen no sky so beautiful 
as that which came to us when we bade farewell to Mem- 
phis. 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE HOLT LAND ITS SACRED ASSOCIATIONS GENERAL 

grant's visit LANDING AT JAFFA RAMLEH RIDE TO 

JERUSALEM TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO THE HOLY CITY — 

IN AND AROUND JERUSALEM WALK OVER THE VIA DOLOR- 
OSA THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE DAMASCUS 

SMYRNA — CONSTANTINOPLE A VISIT TO THE SULTAN 

A PRINCELY GIFT THE SLAVE MARKET THE MOSQUE OF 

THE SULTAN — ATHENS AND THE ACROPOLIS — MARS' HILL 
— CORINTH. 

Any journey in the East would be incomplete should 
the traveller forget or neglect to visit Jerusalem and its ad- 
joining villages. The City of David, emblem of the New 
Jerusalem, and the places made sacred by the feet of Him 
who " spake as never man spake," are surely worthy of a 
visit by one journeying either for pleasure or profit. What 
hallowed, sacred memories cluster around the spot where 
once the Redeemer trod. Surely, if there be such a thing 
as " Hallowed Ground," it is here. Writes Mr. Young : 
Of course, to feel Jerusalem, one must come with faith. 
And if there be doubts and questionings in any of our 
company, for this day at least we give ourselves up to 
the enjoyments of perfect trust in the Holy Record. 

We came to Jaffa on Sunday morning, the 10th of Feb- 
ruary. The "Vandalia" was waiting for us at Port Said, and 
as soon as we embarked she put out to sea. We had been 
absent just one month on Nile and other excursions, and 
it was something like coming home to find ourselves 
on the old deck among the familiar faces of our navy 

(321) 



322 



I.IFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 



friends. The sea had been stormy, but the General is a 
fortunate traveller and it went down in honor of his coming. 
We ran over to Jaffa on a calm sea, and when we came to 
the town the sea was like a mill pond. This had not been 
before during the winter, and it was with a feeling of relief, 
amounting, perhaj^s, to thankfulness, that we shot through 
the jagged rocks, scrambled up the side into a crowd of 
greasy, howling Arabs, and walked into one of the dirtiest 
streets in the world. We were at last in the Holy Land. 
We went to our Vice Consul's (Mr. Hardegg), and there 
we found welcome and entertainment. There was a little 





JAFFA 



archway of flowers and branches over the road, surmounted 
by the inscription, "Welcome, General Grant," and all the 
town was out to do us honor. The General, who moves im- 
mediately upon every point of interest, went to the house 
of Simon, the tanner, the house by the seaside, to which 
Peter came when he raised Tabitha from the dead, and 
preached that fine Gospel truth — the finest of all political 
truths — that God is no respecter of persons. The raiu was 



TOUil xVROUND THE WORLD. 



823 



falling, but the wind was from the shore and kept down 
the sea. Our party for Jerusalem included four of the 
Vandalia's officers — Lieutenant Commander A. G. Cald- 




PEASANT WOMAN OF THE EAST, 

well, Lieutenant T. W. Miller, Engineer D. M. Fulmer 
and Midshipman William S. Hogg. All that Jaffa con- 
tained worthy of interest had been seen, and Ave prepared 
for the Holy City. We had three clumsy open wagons, 
each drawn by three horses, and we drove out of the town 
into the plain of Sharon, at about four in the afternoon. 

It was too early in the season to see Palestine in its 
glory; but the plain was rich and fertile, sparkling with 
lilies and scarlet anemones, witli groves of orange trees 



324 



J.IFE OF GENERAL GRANT 



bending under their yellow fruitage, with almond trees 
coming into bloom. We had been tliese many days in 
Egypt with no forest comj^anions but the drooping date 
palms, and we had been lamenting the parched and barren 
fields that came from the bad Nile. It was grateful to see 
Palestine, therefore, in its greenness, and even the rain was 
so homelike that we welcomed it and drove steadily 
through it until, when the sun went down, we were in the 
town of Ramleh, where we remained for the night. Our 
first lodging in the Holy Land was humble enough, and 
by the time we reached Kamleh the rain was pouring. Still 





-"'■/>>'/*""*. 



RAMLEH. 



we were in the most cheerful humor, ready only to see the 
bright side. Even Caldwell — who had to put on his uni- 
form and sword and go out into the mud, with an Arab, 
carrying a lantern, v/alking ahead, and two soldiers behind, 
and various dogs howling in escort — even Caldwell, who 
had to call on the Governor, seemed to think that there 
never was so jolly an errand. None of us volunteered to 
go along. We preferred to sit in the shelter of the hotel. 



TOUK AUOU:XD THE WOULD. 325 

We have our first biblical view when we pass the ruins 
of Gezer, whicli Mr. Hardegg tells us was once a royal 
city of the land of Canaan — that an Egyptian monarch 
captured it and gave it to Solomon, when that wise king 
but Avidely disseminated husband married the conqueror's 
daughter. There is nothing worth pausing to see, especiallv 
in the rain, and Solomon somehow does not interest us, for 
our thoughts are all on Jerusalem and one greater than 
Solomon. At certain intervals we see a square stone guard- 
house, where soldiers once lived to watch the roads. But 
the houses are abandoned and the soldiers have gone to 
war upon the Muscovite, and the road must take care of 
itself. We stop about eleven at the only place of entei'- 
tainment on the way and are shown into a gloomy, damp 
upper chamber. There we make our luncheon on a pine 
table in primitive fashion, the Marquis unburdening the 
baskets and each one helj^ing the other. Some of us walk 
over the hills for a short tramp while the horses munch 
their grain, and come back bearing anemones and butter- 
cups and daisies, which we lay at the feet of the lady of 
the expedition as an offering from the Holy Land. We ai'e 
off an hour ahead of time, thanks to our illustrious com- 
mander. It had been calculated by experts that we should 
reach Jerusalem about sundown ; but our captain had 
planned an earlier arrival and that we should enter the 
sacred city while the sun shone. So we went over hills 
that kept growing higher and over roads growing worse 
and worse. Some of us walked ahead and made short 
cuts to avoid the sinuous path. We pass a village some 
way off, which in latter years was the home of a bandit 
sheik. We are told that this is the village of Kirjath 
Jearim, about which you may read in the Bible, where, as 
Samuel informs us, the ark remained twenty years. If we 
stopped long enough we might see an interesting church, 



326 LIFE OF GENP:RAL GRANT. 

but we are just now running a limited express to Jerusa- 
L^ni. We see beyond us Joshua's Valley of Ajalon, 
almost hidden in the mist, and remember how the Lord 
answered his prayer. We come to the scene of the great 
Ijattle between David and Goliath. There were stones 
enough for the strijDling's sling, as we can well see. The 
valley is deep and the brook sdll runs a swift course. We 
could well imao;ine the armies of the Jews on one side of 
the valley, and the armies of the Philistines on the other. 
It was the last ravine this side of the heights of Jerusalem, 
and one of the strongest natural defences of the Holy City. 
W^e expected to enter Jerusalem in our quiet, plain 
Avay, pilgrims really coming to see the Holy City, filled 
with its renowned memories. But, lo and behold! here is 
an army with banners, and we are commanded to enter as 
conquerers, in a triumphal manner ! Well, I know of one 
in that company who looked with sorrow U2:>on the 
l)ageant, and he it was for wdiom it was intended. But 
there was no help for it. So w^e assembled and were in 
due form presented, and there were coffee and cigars. More 
than all, there were horses — for the General, the Pacha's 
own white Arab steed in housings of gold. It was well 
that this courtesy had been prompted, for the bridge over 
the brook was gone and our carts would have had a sorry 
business crossing. We set out, the General thinking, no 
doubt, that his campaign to enter Jerusalem at four had 
been frustrated by an enemy upon whom he had not 
counted. He had considered the weather, the roads, the 
endurance of the horses; but he had not considered that 
the Pacha meant to honor him as though he were another 
Alexander coming into a conquered town. So we trailed 
up the winding ways of the hill — the hill which sheltered 
Jerusalem from the Canaanite and Philistine. Jerusalem 
is two thousand five hundred feet above the sea, and even 



TOUR AROUND THE WOULD. 327 

then it lies beyond a hill that must be passed. !So we wind 
around and around, up and around, steadily, patiently 
strainmg toward the summit. The mist and the clouds 
that had been hovering over our path finally enveloped 
us, and we could trace with difficulty the path over which 
we came. The view on a clear day must be wonderful for 
breadth and beauty, and even now, with the gray clouds 
about us and the rain falling in a mist, we looked down 
the mountain's dizzy side and saw hill after hill sweeping 
like billows on toward the sea. As a glimpse of nature 
there was beauty in the scene to be remembered in many a 
dream. But we were thinking of the valley below, as 
scenes of events which have stirred the souls of Christian 
men for centuries, as the path of conquering armies — of 
Joshua and David — of Alexander and Vespasian — of God- 
frey and Saladin. And here we were coming with banners 
and armed men, and at our head, riding side by side with 
the Pacha's Turkish lieutenant, is one whose name will 
live with that of the greatest commander who ever pre- 
ceded him over this rocky way. The valley passes away. 
We ride about a mile through a suburb, the highway 
lined with people. The General passes on, with bared 
head, for on both sides the assembled multitude do him 
honor. We see through the mist a mass of domes and 
towers, and the heart beats quickly, for Ave know they are 
the domes and towers of Jerusalem. There are ranks of 
soldiers drawn in line, the soldiers presenting arms, the 
band playing, the colors falling. We pass through a nar- 
row gate, the gate that Tancred forced with his crusaders. 
We pass under the walls of the tower of David, and the 
flag that floats from the pole on the consulate tells us that 
our journey is at an end, and that ayc are within the walls 
of Jerusalem. 

There w^ere ceremonies to be paid and returned, which 
i will sum up and dismiss at once. The Pacha called in 

21 



328 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



state and spoke of the honor conferred upon Palestine by 
the coming of the General The consuls came with com- 
pliments. The bishops and patriarchs all came and blessed 
the General and his house. The Pacha offered to send 
his band of fif.y pieces and a guard to be in constant 
attendance. But visiting the holy places with a band of 
music and a military escort was so appalling an honor that 
it was declined with as much skill as possible to avoid 
offense. As a compromise, the General accepted the band 
for the hour in the evening when we dined. He could 
not avoid it, and it would be a pleasure to the people, who 
swarmed at his gates, and lay in wait for him with peti- 
tions. The Pacha gave a state dinner to which we all 
went — a dinner marked with the kindest hospitality. 
These ceremonies, or portions of them, quite used u]) our 
little time. The General intended to spend tbree days 




AN EASTERN DINING-ROOM. 



only in Jerusalem, for already his eyes turn toward Rome, 
where he expects in March to meet some of his family, and 
we must in the meantime see Damascus, Beyrout, Smyrna, 



TOUil AlKJUNn THE WOULD, 



32« 



Constantinople, Athens, C'orintli and Syracuse. We set 
out in the afternoon to walk over the sacred jilaces, and 
our first walk was along the Via Dolorosa. 

Some of us had stolen away in the morning before the 
ceremonies began, to walk over the street consecrated to 
Christianity, — the street over which Jesus Christ carried 
His cross. I am living within five minutes' walk of Cal- 
vary. I look at it in the morning from the terrace near 
my chamber door — a fair rounded dome, high in the air, 




VIA DOLOROSA 



covering the spot upon which our Saviour suffered. I do 
not enter into the question as to whether or not this was 
the real Calvary. Somehow one thinks it nuist have been 



3bO J.TFE OF GENERAL GKANT. 

one of the hills beyond the city, of which there are many ; 
that the cross would have been more im^^osing on the toj) 
of the Mount of Olives, for instance, than here within the 
walls near the market places, under a dome. But execu- 
tions, we must remember, are not j)ageants, and it would 
have been a weary road over the valley and up the hill for 
any careful centurion to send his soldiers. It is known 
that in the time of Christ, Calvary was without any city 
walls, that it was about sixty feet above the lower streets 
of the city, as high as Mount Moriah and Mount Zion. 
So that any condition of place and convenience is satisfied. 
We pa^ss from our hotel on Mount Zion through a narrow, 
dingy street paved with jagged cobble-stones. We make 
our way with some difficulty. We stumble and slide 
rather than walk. We pass beggars who cry for alms, 
workmen at various industries, merchants selling their 
wares, camels and asses and beasts of burden. We turn 
into a covered way and slide and stumble along, and we 
are on the Via Dolorosa. The first place pointed out is 
the Coptic Monastery. Here Christ sank under the weight 
of the cross. We are going down the hill which He 
ascended. We come to the ruins of the Hosj^ice of the 
Knights of St. John, Here is where Jesus addressed the 
women who followed Him. We wind around the corner 
and follow the narrow, slippery way — beggars crawling 
about us for alms, and Alexander, of the Legation, fair 
young Syrian in Oriental costume, bearing a sword, lead- 
ing the way. Alexander is in something of a hurry, the 
Via Dolorosa being of about as much interest to him as 
Broadway to a New York policeman. Here we are at the 
house where Jesus fell for the second time. A few steps 
further, and we are at the house and tomb of Veronica, 
who wiped the blood from His holy brow and left His 
image on her napkin. We descend a slippery path, and 



TOUK AROUND TIIP: WOULD. 



331 



at the corner is the house against which Christ leaned 
overcome by agony. You see a dent in the stone. This 
dent was made by the hand of our Lord as He stretched 
it out to support his burden. It is smooth and dark 
with the kisses of millions of believing lips. The 
next house is that of Dives, the rich man. At the cor- 




DAVID'S TOMB, MOUNT ZION. 



ner, Simon of Cyrene took the cross and carried it a part 
of the way, for which good deed his name became immor- 
tal. In front of the house of Dives is a stone, and over 
it a hovel. The hovel was the house of the beggar, the 
stone is where he sat in quest of alms, and under this 
archway where we now stand and look at the rich man's 
house Jesus stood and pronounced the parable which you 
will find in the sixteenth chapter of Luke. Here the road 
makes another bend, and we pass a broken column that 



332 LIFE OF (lENEllAL GlwVNT. 

must at one time have been a stately ornament. The col- 
umn broke where Jesus sank upon it, and the fissure is 
clear and deep. We keep on until we come to a church, a 
bright new church, with an arch overhanging the street. 
This is the Church of Ecce Homo. It was here or here- 
abouts that the road to the cross began. There is a bar- 
racks on the site of Pilate's 'judgment hall. We go into 
the church, a sweet-faced sister opening the way. Behind 
the altar is an arch, and under this arch Pilate stood when 
he delivered over Jesus to the Jews and washed his hands 
of innocent blood. Here, in an enclosure, was the whip- 
ping, the crowning with thorns, the decoration with the 
purple robes, and here also Jesus took up the cross which 
He carried to Calvary. We can readily see, as we retrace 
our way up the Via Dolorosa, that it must have been a 
rough and weary road to one rent and torn and bleeding 
and crushed under the cruel burden of the cross. Even 
to us — free as we are — wayfarers, in full possession of our 
fiiculties, it is a tedious task to climb the hill of Calvary. 

We descended the hill and ascended it again before we 
found ourselves in the company of the General. Mrs. 
Grant was vouchsafed the dispensation of a donkey, and 
we all followed after on foot. When we finished the Via 
Dolorosa, we kept on outside the gates and over the valley 
of Jehoshaphat. The brook below is the brook Kedron, 
of which it is written that Jesus, on the night before His 
betrayal, "went forth with His disciples over the brook 
Kedron, where there was a garden, to the which He 
entered, and His disciples." This is written in the eigh- 
teenth chapter of John, and we cross the very brook 
hallowed by His holy and sorrowful footsteps. We 
{iscend the hill a short distance and come to a walled 
gai'den. A monk opens the gate and we descend. The 
garden blooms with flowers. The paths are neatly swept. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



33:^ 



Around the walls are the pictures by which the Catholic 
represents the way to the cross. Over the flower-beds 
droops a cluster of olive trees, ancient, and gnarled, and 
bending. It is not chfficult to believe, knowing what we 
do about trees in California, that these are twenty centuries 
old. The General says he does not doubt it, even from 
the random evidence of his own eyes. Under this tree 
Jesus Christ knelt and prayed, and made holy forever the 
Garden of Gethsemane. We looked at the tree called 
"The Tree of Agony." We pressed its knotted bark with 




VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. 

reverence and love, and though we were an idle, worldly 
group, fresh out of a busy, worldly world, there were few 
words spoken, and all thoughts turned to the sacred and 
sorrowful scenes which Christian men believe here took 
place. And if one could know the hearts of those who 
were about the tree, who stood around in silence, I have 
no doubt that he would know of many a silent prayer 
breathed to Heaven for the Sufferers aid. 



334 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

We passed on over the hill to the village of Bethany. It 
was here that Jesus lived when He preached in Jerusalem. 
Here was Lazarus, His friend, whom He called from the 
tomb. Here lived Martha and Mary, whom Jesus loved — 
Martha, who served Him at supper, and Mary, who chose 
the better part. We ride under the overhanging ruins of 
the dwelling in which Jesus found home, shelter, friend- 
ship, love ; where He came for peace after the hard day's 
work in Jerusalem. We walked around Bethany — which 
is only a collection of ruins and hovels — passing over the 
graveyard where Lazarus was buried. We continue along 
the road that leads to Jerusalem again, not over mountain, 
but the one sloping near its base, and so returned to our 
abode. 

General Grant and his party next proceeded to the city 
of Damascus. This city lies on the east of anti-Lebanon, 
about 2,200 feet above the level of the sea, in a fertile 
plain near the desert. It is the oldest city known in his- 
tory. The Barada River passes through it, giving it addi- 
tional beauty. We find this city first mentioned in Gene- 
sis xiv. 15, where it is referred to as being the city of 
Abraham's steward. It was here that Naaman, the leper, 
lived. At the time of the Apostle Paul, the city was under 
the rule of the Romans, and Aretas, the Arabian, was its 
ruler. 

As early as 800 b. c, the fine fabrics of Damascus had 
become famous. The damask-silk and sword-blades are 
still so. There are certain points pointed out to travellers 
as being historically connected with Paul and his time. The 
" street called Straight " now bears the name of Bazaars ; 
there is also the house of Judas ; the house of Ananias ; the 
spot where Paul was converted, which is an open, green place, 
surrounded by trees, and at present used as a Christian 
burial-ground ; the place where Paul was let down by the 




335 



336 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



wall in a basket ; and also several spots connected with tlie 
life of the prophet Elisha. The city is surrounded by a 
ruinous wall of ancient Roman foundations, " and a patch- 
work of all succeeding ages." Viewed from a distance, the 
city has a splendid appearance, which is not well sustained 
upon near approach. The houses are rudely constructed, the 




I 



I 



A DANCING-GIRL OF DAMASCUS. 



streets narrow, and paved with big, rough stones, or not 
at all, and portions of them are covered over with mats or 
withered branches. The bazaars are covered ways with a 
few stalls upon each side, and the different trades are 
placed by themselves. Although the streets 23resent a 
somewhat rough appearance, yet the interior of the j)rivate 



338 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

houses are very neat, the rooms opening from the court 
being decorated with carving, gilding, and all the adorn- 
ments that wealth and taste can provide. The courts are 
neatly paved, and are ornamented with costly fountains and 
beautiful shade-trees. The modern name of the city is 
Esh Shaum. It has at present a population of 150,000 
people, of whom 15,000 are Christians and 6,000 are Jews. 
The people are very fond of amusements, among which 
dancing occupies a prominent position. 

From Damascus the party proceeded to Beyrout. Here 
a very pleasant time was past. A few days later they de- 
parted for Smyrna. In entering the harbor of Smyrna, 
the travellers passed very close to Mytilene, the ancient 
Lesbos. 

The antiquities of Smyrna are few and uninteresting. 
A little stream, the Meles, flows back of the town ; upon 
* its banks Homer is said to have been born. The country 
around Smyrna is very poorly cultivated, and large por- 
tions of it are entirely neglected. The city contains a 
number of delightful gardens, in which the fig and orange 
grow with great luxuriance. 

The next point visited by the travellers was Constan- 
tinople. The steamer rounded the Seraglio Point, and 
swee})ing- into the bold expanse which the Bosphorus forms 
opposite the city, dropped anchor off the mouth of the 
Golden Horn. The first step ujion the shore reminds one 
that he is in the East. The costume is oriental, the lan- 
guage has nothing in its syllables or sounds that resemble 
the proven9al tongues, and there appears to be an air of 
luxurious enjoyment and repose in all around, that con- 
trasts strikingly with the anxious air of the busy popula- 
tions of the cities of Western Europe. 

Almost touching the water was a cafe, cooled by a foun- 
tain, and the umbrageous boughs of the wide-spreading 



TOUU AROUND THE WORLD. 



i:i9 



platamis tree. Lounging on divans were a number of 
Turks, with white turbans and long beards, smoking the 
nargile, or water-pipe, and seeking nervous excitement 
in frequent draughts q^ coffee, or in the inhalation of the 
intoxicating fumes of hashish. Near by was a beautiful 
fountain, erected by some kind Turk who was seeking en- 
trance into the Mussulman heaven by doing good to man, 
and a mosque from the minarets of which the muezzin was 
calling the faithful to prayer. " There is no god but God, 
and Mohammed is His prophet," was the cry that was float- 
ino- on the air as the travellers landed. 




EXTLRIOR VIEW OF A TURKISH HOLSE. 

The interior of Constantinople by no means corresponds 
with the expectations which one is led to entertain from 
the splendor of its appearance as seen from the Bosj^horus. 
The streets are narrow, and paved with stones which appear 
as though they had been scattered at random, simply to cover 
the nakedness of the earth. The houses are of wood, and 
so wretchedly built, that they afford but little shelter 
against the elements. Fires at Constantinople, where the 



340 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



buildings are of frame, are, of course, very destructive,, 
sometimes sweeping away squares of houses at a time. 
There are two lofty towers w^hicli overlook the city, where 
the watchmen are stationed night and day to sound the 
alarm of fire ; but a conflagration rarely breaks out which 
does not destroy a square of buildings. The Turks will 
sometimes make an effort to arrest the flames, but if over- 
mastered, they will quietly fold their arms, and exclaiming 




INTERIOR VIKW <»K A il KKISll ll()l>ir: 



'^ Allah kerlm,'' "God is oreat," leave thinns to their course. 
When General Grant reached Constantinople his first 
visit was paid to the Sultan, who immediately ordered Mu- 
nir Bey, the Master of Ceremonies, to present to the Gen- 
eral an Arab horse from the imperial stables. One was 
chosen and set aside for him, but, owing to some misunder- 
standing, the gift horse was not sent, and the " VandaHa" 
sailed without him. Afterwards, the steed in question 
was found, and, accompanied by a second horse, was trans- 
ferred to the care of the oflficers of the American Leo-ation. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 341 

They were shipped on board the " Norman Monarch." They 
were housed between the decks, provided with canvas belts 
to swing in in rough weather, and in every way treated as 
cabin passengers, a man being detailed to care for them. 
They are said to have endured the long voyage without 
showing any signs of discomfort or fatigue, and were de- 
scribed by one of the prominent horsemen at Suffolk Park 
as being in perfect trim and models of beauty. They are 
in many important respects very unlike the blooded 
xVmerican horse. 

Our next visit was to the bazaars. These consist of a 
long range of shops running parallel with each other, with 
an intervening paved avenue dividing the two rows ; the 
avenue is covered over. There are numerous bazaars, each, 
division being aj^propriated to the sale of different objects. 
There is the silk bazaar, the provision bazaar, the arm ba- 
zaar, etc. The purchaser is not, therefore, obliged to wan- 
der through the whole range of bazaars to seek the object 
of his wants, but at once goes to a particular bazaar and 
finds it. The shops are very small, and contain but scanty 
stocks ; but there is a great number of them, which may, 
in some degree, compensate for the lack of quantity in their 
stock. 

The next point visited was the Mosque of the Sultan 
Ahmed. The exterior walls of this, as the walls of all 
other mosques, are painted white. From the centre rises 
a hemispherical dome, and at the four corners of the build- 
ing shoot up tall minarets, the points of which, tipped with 
gold, appear lost in the air. Passing through an open 
court-yard, we came to the portal of the mosque. AVe 
pulled off our boots, slid our feet into yellow slippers, the 
color worn only by the faithful, removed our hats, and en- 
tered. The interior was very plain ; the floor was spread 
with rich carpets, and variously-colored glass lamps, like 






342 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



those in public gardens, were suspended around the walls, 
with here and there an ostrich-egg, the offering of some 
pious devotee. A j^ulpit of carved wood faced the east. 
Several Turks were prostrating themselves in prayer upon 
the carpets, the countenance turned to the sacred east. 
From the floor to the ceili7ig the breadth and width of the 
great space beneath the roof was unbroken by a gallery or 
any other object. The roof rested upon arches which 
sprang from the walls. Tins great void, with the over- 
hanging roof unsustained by a single pillar, had a most 
majestic effect, and I have rarely seen boldness and sim- 
plicity of architecture so happily combined as in this 
mosque. The walls were naked of ornaments, with the 
exception of a rude drawing of the Caaba at Mecca. 




THE ACROPOLIS AT ATHENS. 



In the centre of the court-yard of the mosque was a 
beautiful fountain, ornamented with that light tracery work 
which is characteristic of Saracenic architecture. An im- 
mense number of pigeons had assembled there at that time 
to be fed, as some kind Mussulman had left a legacy to 
procure grain for the daily feeding of the pigeons which 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 343 

belonged to the mosque. They nearly covered the yard, 
and children were walking about in the midst of them, 
without causing them the least alarm. Such is the friend- 
ship between man and the brute creation in Mussulman 
countries. 

The next point of interest was the city of Athens. 
Among the points visited by the travellers was the Acrop- 
olis, on whose summit the ruins of the Parthenon even 
now command the admiration of every beholder. At its 
foot is the theatre of Bacchus, where Demosthenes was 
crowned. 

A visit was also j^aid to Mars' Hill, where Paul ^^reached to 
the people, declaring " unto them Him whom they ignorantly 
worshipped, the Lord of heaven and earth, who dwelleth 
not in temples made with hands, and whose Godhead was 
not like gold, or silver, or stone graven by art and man's 
device." 

From Athens the j^arty proceeded to Corinth. The 
city is surrounded by a wall with embrasures for cannon. 
There were but few pieces of cannon on the walls. We 
observed, however, some long twenty-four-pounders, richl3r 
ornamented with the Venetian arms, which had remained in 
the fortress since its capture by the Turks. After a few 
days spent in rambling over the old historic grounds in the 
vicinity of the city, and viewing all places of interest iu 
the city itself, the travellers departed for Syracuse. A 
short visit was made at the latter point, after which they 
proceeded to Rome, where they expected to meet certain 
friends who had promised to be there, 

22 



CHAPTER XXL 

THE ETEKNAL CITY ROMAN HONORS VENICE GENOA THEY 

RETURN TO PARIS HOLLAND DUTCH FESTIVITIES BER- 
LIN A VISIT TO BISMARCK REVIEWING THE TROOPS — 

COPENHAGEN — THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN PASSES OF THE 

BLACK FOREST SWEDEN AND NORWAY PETERHOF, THE 

VERSAILLES OF ST. PETERSBURG AN INTERVIEW WITH 

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF ST. PETERSBURG KRONSTADT, 

THE PORT OF ST. PETERSBURG AN INTERVIEW WITH THE 

CZAR OF ALL THE RUSSIAS MOSCOW WARSAW EN 

ROUTE FOR SPAIN. 

Continuing liis journey along the shores of the Medi- 
terranean, General Grant visited the beautiful cities which 
dot the coast, beholding the beautiful works of art, and 
receiving honors from the high and the low. During his 
stay in Rome, King Humbert gave him a magnificent 
dinner, at which all the Italian Ministers were present. 
Speeches were made, toasts drank, and every one seemed 
determined that the General should enjoy himself. Flor- 
ence was reached on the 16th of April. The party were 
received at the station by the municipal authorities, the 
American Consul, Mr. J. Schuyler Crosby, deputations of 
the Italian army, and the American residents. Here they 
remained several days, visiting j^laces of interest and 
greatly enjoying themselves. During their stay they 
visited the art galleries of the Uffizi and Pitti palaces, and 
also attended the religious ceremonies of Holy Saturday. 

(344) 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 345 

The distinguished party reached Venice on the 22d of 
April. At the station Mr. John Harris, several American 
residents, and the officials of the city met them and ex- 
tended the same courteous welcome that had greeted them 
everywhere. Several days were spent enjoying the 
honors and seeing the sights of this strange city. 

Leaving Venice the party proceeded to Milan, where 
they arrived on the 27th. The customary welcome 
awaited them, and the many sights which cluster here 
were seen to the best advantage. 

The Cathedral is still the public, commercial, social, 
and religious nucleus of Milan, though the Piazza is very 
different now from the former surroundings of the Church, 
where the merchants of old gathered, and the nobles mar- 
shalled themselves, and the people fought for bread during 
the famines that succeeded the plague in the sixteenth cen~ 
tury, as is told in Manzour's novel of " The Betrothed." 

Despite the first impression — some one has called 
this white-marble Cathedral a church of lace-work — the 
Church strikes the eye as defective after a few moments' 
observation, and I never could admire it so unreservedly 
as most travellers think themselves bound to do. It lacks 
height, as even its highest pinnacle is not worthy to be 
called a spire ; and its heavy, square-topped, Kenaissance 
portals, and indeed the whole fa9ade, are distressingly out 
of keeping with the rest of the florid Gothic design. The 
ceiling is also another blemish and disappointment, being 
painted in imitation of stone-work, and the sham is very 
transparent. 

Setting aside these details, there is much that is inter- 
esting, both in the way of monuments and pictures ; but 
two of the most curious specialties, neither of which is men- 
tioned in the latest guide-books, are the seven-branched, 
gilt-bronzed candelabrum, standing in the right transept 



34(, LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

on a sculptured pedestal of Sienna marbb, with the Virgin 
and Child carved on the shaft, and the branches adorned 
with foliage and miniature statues ; and the colossal statue 
of St. Bartholomew in the rear of the choir and high altar, 
representing the apostle as flayed alive. The sculptor, 
Marco Agrato, was so proud of his work, that he recorded 
his satisfaction in Latin inscription to this effect: "Not 
Praxiteles, but Marcus Agratus, designed and executed 

me. 

Immediately in front of the choir-railings is a round 
opening, with lamps perpetually burning, an artistic rail- 
ing encircling it ; and through this we catch a glimpse of 
the subterranean shrine of St. Charles Borromeo, Arch- 
bishop of Milan in 1557. The plague broke out in the 
city during his lifetime, and he exposed himself personally 
in the most fearless way, encouraging the clergy to do 
their duty likewise. His nephew, Cardinal Frederick 
Borromeo, was his successor in the See, and inherited the 
same virtues. Manzoni gives an admirable portrait of him 
in "The Betrothed," as a contrast to the wretched Don 
Abbondio, the country parish priest ; both portraits being 
historical. 

The body of St. Charles lies in a glass case — the face 
uncovered, the flesh dried and brown like a mummy's ; the 
hands encased in episcopal embroidered gloves, and the 
body clothed in episcopal robes. The mitre and pillow 
under the head are one mass of gold and jewels, while 
scenes of the saint's life are chiselled on the silver lining 
of the walls, blackened by the torches constantly applied 
to them for the benefit of curious strangers. 

From Milan the party proceeded to Genoa. Here they 
received glad ovations. Its name was once the synonym of 
all that was haughty in politics, aristocratic in association, 
domineering in conunerce; but it has sadly fallen off*. 




^ii:iiSi'}!i!iiiiiliii 

347 



348 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The old city, however, contains many gorgeous, compar- 
atively modern fanes, where gilding and show are quite in 
keeping with the original design of the builder. For 
instance, there is the dazzling Church of the Annunziata, 
about two hundred and fifty years old, with variegated 
marble floor ; forests of columns, all of different marbles ; 
chapels full of rich golden lamps, hanging from jewelled 
chains ; a roof, or rather ceiling, of great richness, divided 
into numberless panels by the costliest of carved and gilt 
work, each panel being a fresco representing a scene in the 
life of the Blessed Virgin. 

One of the modern — indeed, one might say recent — 
glories of Genoa, is the beautiful monument to Columbus, 
at the western extremity of the town, in a piazza by the 
railroad-station and the gardens of the Villa Doria. This 
has existed upwards of ten or fifteen years, and is the work 
of Genoese artists. The great discoverer is represented 
standing in the costume of a scholar of his day, leaning 
with one hand on an anchor, and his other hand on the 
shoulder of a kneeling Indian, crowned with feathers, and 
carrying a cross in his hand. At the four corners of 
the pedestal are several allegorical figures, life-size, and 
above them a circle of ships' prows and laurel wreaths, 
set alternately. Four bassi-relievi give scenes from his 
life, and on the lowest base of the monument, two flying 
genii uphold the simple inscrij^tion, "A Cristoforo Co- 
lombo, La Patria " — " His Country to Christopher Colum- 
bus." 

One cannot help thinking of what might have been 
the present position of Genoa, had she, as an independent 
State, listened to Columbus, and fitted out a fleet for him 
to explore the New World and conquer it in her name. 
The Italians of those days stood in the first rank among 
the nations of the world ; by their side the Spaniards, the 




349 



350 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Portuguese, tlie Germans, and the English were but unlet- 
tered barbarians. Her statesmen were acknowledged to be 
the masters of diplomacy ; her merchants were wealthier 
and more enterprising than any, and, at the same time, they 
were not mere traders, but men of culture and education ; 
generous patrons of art, competent critics of letters. 

Among the wealthy and public-spirited men who have 
lately died, was the Duke of Galliera, who left the city 
$4,000,000 for the imj^rovement of the harbor, on condition 
that the municipal government should advance the rest of 
the sum required to carry out the improvements. A large 
new mole is being built, and the present new mole length- 
ened, so that it will still continue to be the outer pier. In 
addition to this, quays by rails with the main line are pro- 
jected, with a view to enable the largest slii23s to unload 
without lighters. 

Leaving Genoa, General Grant and his party returned 
to Paris, which point was reached on the 7tli of May. At 
that time the Paris Exhibition was the uppermost topic 
of the city. On the 1 1th, General Grant accompanied by 
his wife and son visited the Exposition. He was received 
by Chief Commissioner McCormick and staff and by the 
Commissioners from the various States of the Union, Min- 
ister Noyes, Consul-General Torbert and wife, and the lead- 
ing ladies and gentlemen of the American colony in Paris. 
The American marines were drawn up in military array 
and gave the party a military salute on their arrival at the 
American section. The General and his party then ex- 
amined the whole American department in detail. 

Having remained in Paris little more than a month, 
General Grant and his party left the city for Holland, " to 
recuperate in a series of mild Dutch festivities from the 
mad whirl of festive Paris." Before his departure from 
Paris, General Grant took leave of President MacMahon. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 361 

The meeting between the two soldiers was most interesting. 
The Marshal was very cordial, saying " France was hon- 
ored by the presence of so illustrious a general." The 
Marshal further stated that he had arranged to give a din- 
ner arndfete in honor of General Grant on the following 
Monday. This the General was compelled to decline be- 
cause of his engagements at the Hague. The Marshal 
hoped that General Grant would return in September, 
when he would give a special fete for him. The interview 
throughout was marked by the kindliest of feeling. 

When he was about to leave Paris, Mr. Young wrote : — 
He will tarry seven days in the land of the Dutch, and 
study it with uncommon interest. He will look for the 
children of the race of the Knickerbockers in their native 
wilds, and catch them smoking as only a contemplative 
Dutchman can smoke. 

The Dutch government, which had made extensive 
arrangements for his recej^tion, warmly welcomed him to 
the land of Schiedam Schnapps, and the visit was a very 
pleasant one. From Holland the party went to Germany. 

Berlin was reached Wednesday, the 26th of June. The 
late Bayard Taylor, at that time our Minister to Germany, 
met them at Stendahl, which was sixty miles distant, and 
escorted them to the German capital. 

Concerning the visit, a correspondent of the New York 
Herald says : — On the evening of his coming he walked 
along the Unter den Linden, and his Berlin visit may be 
summed up in this sentence — that he walked the greater 
part of each day. I do not think there is a quarter of Ber- 
lin which he has not explored on foot with an energy as 
sight-seer which no amount of exertion seems to diminish. 

There was an interview with Prince Gortschakoff, the 
General, in company with Mr. Taylor, calling at the 
Prince's request, as the gout prevented the Prince calling 



352 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

on the General. Gortseliakoff said that Russia would be 
glad to see and welcome the General, and he seemed de- 
lighted with the visit. Of the members of the Congress, 
Lord Beaconsfield, Lord Salisbury, M. Waddington, and 
Count Corti were known to the General. Mehemet Ali he 
had met in Turkey. Visits were exchanged with these 
gentlemen, and with the other members of the Congress. 

Among the first cards left on the General was that of 
Prince Bismarck, and as it did not find him at home it was 
left again. As the General was anxious to see the Prince, 
for whose character and services he had so high an admi- 
ration, he returned these calls at once, and sent His High- 
ness a message, saying that he would make his visit at any 
time that would suit the Prince, whom he knew to be a 
busy and an ill man. 

The afternoon at four was the hour named for the visit, 
and as the General lives within a few moments' walk of the 
Bismarck palace, at five minutes to four he slowly sauntered 
through the Frederick place into the court-yard. The sen- 
tinels eye him a moment curiously and then present arms. 
His visit had been expected, but certainly an ex-President 
of the United States would come in a carriage and six and 
not quietly on foot. Throwing away a half-smoked cigar as 
he raises his hat in honor of the salute, he advances to the 
door, but before he has time to ring, two servants throw 
them open, and he passes into an open marble hall. Of 
all princes now living this is, perhaps, the most renowned 
— this of Bismarck-Schonhausen — who comes with a 
swinging, bending gait through the opened and opening 
doors with both hands extended to meet the General. You 
note that time has borne heavily on the Prince these past 
few years. The Prince wears an officer's uniform, and on 
taking the General's hand, he says, "Glad to welcome 
General Grant to Germany." 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 353 

During the remainder of Grant's stay in Berlin he was 
constantly the recipient of distinguished honors. Prince 
Bismarck called on him and entertained him at a most 
sumptuous dinner. The Crown Prince ordered a general 
military review and sham hattle in his honor, which was 
a magnificent display, though a terrible rain-storm pelted 
the troops and the visitors during the entire time. Thus 
day after day the resources of the capital were taxed to do 
him service. The Emperor's health was in so precarious 
a condition that his physicians forbade him the pleasure 
of meeting the General, but all royal attentions other than 
this were bestowed lavishly by the highest officials of the 
Empire. 

Leaving Berlin, General Grant and his party set out for 
Copenhagen by the way of Hamburg. The latter place 
was reached on July 2d. A correspondent writing from 
this place says: There were strong temptations to re- 
main in Berlin, especially as Mr. Taylor seemed to make 
each hour of the stay more and more pleasant. But 
rumors were in the air of an unusual Fourth of July cele- 
bration, in which all the Americans were to take part, and 
the eagle was to have a glorious time screaming. I am 
afraid these rumors, and the apprehension on the General's 
part that he would be called upon to do his part in the 
glorification of our venerable bird, alarmed him, and he 
fled, to the disappointment of the orators, who were in 
severe training to entertain their guest. Hamburg was 
reached in due season, and the General dined quietly with 
the Consul, Mr. J. M. Wilson. There was the usual even- 
ing tramp about the city, and next morning a deputation 
of the Hamburg Senate called and welcomed the General. 
You know Hamburg, as one of the members of the old 
Hanseatic Confederation, is a free city, and governed by a 
Senate and a Burgomaster. Although a part of the mod- 



354 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

ern machine of the German Empire, it retains its munic- 
ipal 251'ivileges, being, to all intents and purposes, a rej^ub- 
lic, as it has been for a thousand years. Hamburg is a 
very beautiful city, in some respects one of the most beau- 
tiful and best governed in Europe. There did not seem to 
be a stone out of place or a tree untrimmed. 

Hamburg gave itself up to the entertainment of the 
General with hearty good- will. On the morning after his 
arrival, he Avas taken by the Senators on board a small 
steamer, and made a tour of the docks and basins, and a 
small run into the Elbe. The ships had their bunting up 
in the friendliest manner, some English and American 
shi2:>s showing all their flags. The trip was 2:)leasant, not- 
withstanding the rain, which came and went like the tem- 
per of a capricious woman. In the evening there was a 
dinner given by the Senate, at the Zoological Gardens, the 
Burgomaster, Dr. Kirchenssauer, in the chair. Among 
the Senators present were Senators Oswald, Stamer, Mo- 
ring, and Hertze. The Burgomaster proposed the Gener- 
al's health in the kindest terms, speaking of the honor 
Hamburg received from his visit. The next day, being 
the Fourth of July, the General went down to the shoot- 
ing-box of James B. McDonald, the Vice-Consul, and 
sj^ent the afternoon walking about the woods and talking 
with American friends. Then came a dinner at a country 
hotel near by, about thirty Americans, ladies and gentle- 
men, present, and the Consul presiding. Mr. Wilson ])yo- 
posed the General's health as " the man who had saved 
the country." This toast was drank with cheers. The 
General made a speech in answer. 

Among other incidents of the visit was the appearance 
of a Prussian military band in front of the General's hotel 
window, at eight o'clock on the morning of the Fourth, 
and a serenade. 




A CASTLE IN GERMANY. 



355 



356 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

A few clays' stay in Copenhagen, and lie embarked for 
Sweden and Norway. His first touching-place was Goth- 
enburg, Sweden, and here, after a short trip across the Cat- 
tegat, he made his first acquaintance with the fiords of the 
old Norse peninsula. When he landed he was met by a 
crowd of over five thousand people, who cheered loudly 
for him of whom they had heard so much. The Swedes, 
who have emigrated in such large numbers to the United 
States, have spread his fame among their countrymen at 
home. The ships in the harbor were all decorated in his 
honor. He passed the day in Gothenburg, and then con- 
tinued his journey to Christiania. All the villages along 
the route were decorated, and his coming was made the 
occasion of a gala-day. 

He landed at Christiania on the 13th, and was received 
with great ceremony. Ten thousand people flocked to greet 
him. King Oscar II. came to Christiania from Stockholm 
to meet the General, and gave him a hearty welcome. The 
General set out sight-seeing, and was conducted to the old 
castle of Aggershuus, with its citadel and church, on the 
brow of a point jutting out into the fiord, over whose wind- 
ing shore-line and smooth waters, broken by wooded islands, 
it gives a fine view. 

He accompanied the King to Stockholm, where he was 
received with enthusiastic orations. Here he was tendered 
with a grand dinner at the Embassy, and in the evening 
was serenaded. Shortly after he started by way of the 
Baltic for St. Petersburg. A large crowd assembled and 
cheered him as he embarked. 

He reached St. Petersburg on the morning of July 
30th. On arriving in the Russian capital he was met 
by Minister Stoughton, whose wonderful coronal of snowy 
locks never shone more magnificently over his rosy cheeks. 

The Emperor's aide-de-camp, Prince Gortschakoff', and 



TOUli AROUND THE WORLD. 



351 



other high officials of the Imperial Court, called immedi- 
ately, welcoming the ex-President in the name of the Czar. 
On the following day General Grant had an audience with 
the Emperor Alexander, which was of a pleasant nature. 
The imperial yacht conveyed the General to Peterhof, the 
Versailles of St. Petersburg. It is fifteen miles from the 




A MOUNTAIN-PASS IN NORWAY. 



capital, but it has one advantage over the old French royal 
extra-mural residence in that the imperial palace there has 
almost unrivalled views over Cronstadt and the Gulf of 
Finland, and of the capital itself The fountains were 
played in honor of the visit. Subsequently, General Grant 
visited the great Russian man-of-war Peter the Great. 
The band played American airs and a royal salute of 
twenty-one guns was fired. The imperial yacht then 
steamed slowly among the Russian fleet lying off Cron- 
stadt, the ships running out American colors and the 
sailors cheering. 

During his visit to St. Petersburg, General Grant had 
an interview with the Czar. The Emperor manifested 



358 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

great cordiality. The General was presented by Prince 
Gortscliakoft'. His Majesty talked of his health and the 
General's travels. He seemed greatly interested in our 
national wards, the Indians, and made several inquiries as 
to their mode of warfare. At the close of the interview the 
Emperor accompanied General Grant to the door, saying : 

" Since tlie foundation of your government, the relations 
between Kussia and America have been of the friendliest char- 
acter, and as long as I live nothing shall be spared to continue 
that friendship," 

The General answered that, although the two govern- 
ments were directly o]3posite in character, the great major- 
ity of the American people were in sympathy with Russia, 
and would, he hoped, so continue. 

At the station General Grant met the Grand Duke 
Alexis, who was very cordial, recalling with pleasure his 
visits to America. A visit was also made to the great 
Chancellor, Prince GortschakofP, with whom the General 
spent some hours smoking and discussing American and 
European affairs. 

The Czarowitz also received General Grant at special 
audience. The French Ambassador gave a dinner to the 
General, and there was a special review of the fire-brigade 
in his honor. The attentions of the Emperor and the 
authorities were so marked, that he j^rolonged his stay 
several days. 

On the 8th, he left for Moscow, and reached the an- 
cient capital on the 9th. He dined with Prince DogorofP 
on the 10th. A visit was paid to the Cathedral of St. 
Basil, which is said to be the nicest " building the ingenuity 
of man could devote to the service of his Maker. There 
are no less than twenty towers and domes, all of different 
shapes and sizes, and painted in every possible color; 
some are covered with a network of green over a surface 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



of yellow, another dome is a bright red with broad white 
stripes, and a third is gilded ! Some historians affirm that 
it was built to commemorate the capture of Kazan ; others, 
that it was a whim of Ivan the Terrible, to try how many 
distinct chapels could be erected under one roof, on a given 
extent of ground, in such a manner that Divine service 
could be ^lerformed in all simultyiieously without any in- 




CATHEDEAL OF ST. BASIL, MOSCOW. 



terference one with another. It is also said that the Czar 
was so delighted with the architect, an Italian, who had 
thus admirably gratified his wishes, that when the edifice 
was finished he sent for him, pronounced a warm 2:)ane- 
gyric on his work, and then had his eyes j^ut out, in order 
that he might never build such another! A strange 
caprice of cruelty, if true — punishing the man, not for 
failing, but succeeding, in gratifying his emj^loyer. 

23 



360 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

General Grant reached Warsaw on the loth. After a 
brief vStay here, he passed on to Vienna, where lie arrived 
on Sunday, August 18th. At the railroad station he was 
met by Minister Kasson, the secretaries and members of 
the American Legation, and a large number of the Amer- 
ican residents. He was loudly cheered as he stepj)ed out 
of the railway-carriage. 

On the 19th, the General was visited at the Legation 
of the United States by Count Andrassy, the First Minister 
of the Council, and several colleagues. In the evening, he 
dined Avith the Countess and Mrs. Grant at Post's. On 
the 20th, he had an audience of His Imperial Majesty 
Francis Joseph at the lovely palace of Schoenbrunn. 

On the 22d, Minister Kasson gave a diplomatic dinner 
in honor of our ex-President, at which nearly all the foreign 
Ambassadors were present. The members of the Austro- 
Hungarian Cabinet attended the reception in the evening, 
and added to the attractiveness and brilliancy of the occa- 
sion. The General expressed himself greatly 23leased with 
Vienna ; thinks it a charming city. He was gratified also 
at the marked attentions of the Emperor's household, and 
the earnest endeavor shown to honor him as a citizen of 
the United States. 

On the following Monday he left for Steirmart. After 
a short stop here, and a ramble through other Austrian 
cities and towns, he returned to Paris on the 25th of Sep- 
tember. He was met at the station by Minister Noyes, 
ex-Governor Fairchild, ex-Governor McCormick, and 
other American officials. The General was in excellent 
health and spirits, and had experienced so little fatigue 
during his journey that, after dining en famille, he strolled 
along the boulevards for more than two hours. 



CHAPTER XXTI. 

A MESSAGE FROM THE KING OF SPAIN — SAN SEBASTIAN — 

VITTORIA MEETING BETWEEN GENERAL GRANT AND THE 

SPANISH KING THE DEAD QUEEN OF SPAIN MADRID, 

THE CAPITAL THE ESCURIAL, THE PALACE OF THE KINGS 

OF SPAIN THE LIBRARY THROUGH THE ROYAL APART- 
MENTS DISAPPOINTED EXPECTATIONS THE TOMB — 

PHILIP. 

It was the intention of General Grant, wlien he left 
Paris, to make a short visit to the Pyrenees, and especially 
Pan. Bnt when he came to Borcleanx he was met hy a 
message from the King of Spain, who was at the time at 
Vittoria, directing the manoeuvres of his troops, and wl]o 
especially requested that the General would honor him with 
a visit. If there is one thing the General dislikes it is re- 
viewing troops; but the message from the King was so 
cordial that it could hardly be declined. Accordingly Pan 
was postponed, and the General went on as far as Biarritz, 
meanino; to rest over nio;ht and cross the frontier next day. 
Resuming their journey, the little town of Irun, which is 
just over the frontier, afforded the first glimpse of Spanish 
life and character. Its neat railway-station was dra])ed 
with flags and bunting, and on the platform wtis a group 
of ofiicers of the Royal Guard, standing apart from those 
privileged citizens who had been admitted within the bar- 
riers. Beyond, clearly seen through the gates and station 
windows, struggling for a view of the distinguished visitor, 
were the villagers and the country people, who, denied 

(361) 



362 LIFE OF GENERAL GRx\NT. 

admission to the yard, were none the less active in their 
demonstrations of curiosity. 

As the train drew up at the platform, General Grant 
alighted from his carriage. The ranking officer of the 
delegation, a general on the staft' of Alfonso XII., advanced 
and, saluting the visitor, welcomed him, in the King's 
name, to the Iberian peninsula. He stated that he was 
directed by His Majesty to place at the General's disposal 
the special railway-carriage of the King, and to beg an 
acceptance of the same. General Grant exj^ressed his 
thanks in a few words and accepted the proffered courtesy. 
The train moved out of the little village towards the war- 
begrimed city of San Sebastian — the last stronghold of the 
Carlists. 

At San Sebastian General Grant was received by Emilio 
Castelar, ex-President of the Spanish Rej^ublic. To the 
well-known statesman and journalist, General Grant was 
exceedingly cordial. He concluded his remarks by say- 
ing : " Believe me, sir, the name of Castelar is especially 
honored in America." Here, as at Irun, were gathered 
many jieople to see General Grant, and he was j^resented 
to the town officials and the distinguished citizens. The 
contracted harbor reflected the green of the tree-covered 
hills that encircle it so nearly, and beyond the cone-like 
isle at its mouth was the sheen of the noonday sun on the 
Bay of Biscay. 

Leaving this place the road leads southward towards 
Tolosa and Vergara. At both of these stations a squad of 
soldiers was stationed. The usual military guard had been 
doubled in honor of the American General. After wind- 
ing about the hills beyond the station of Tolosa the train 
suddenly leaves the defiles behind and smoothly skirts the 
side of a great hill, giving the occupants of the carriages a 
grand view to the southward. Near at hand are seeu the 



TOUR AROUND THE AVOHLD. £63 

peaks of the Pyrenees — only the extreme western t^pur 
of the range, however. 

When General Grant reached Vittoria, there were all 
the authoxities out to see him, and he was informed that in 
the morning the King would meet him. Ten o'clock was 
the hour, and the place was a small city hall or jndace, 
where the King resides when he comes into his capital. 
At ten the General called, and was escorted into an ante- 
room, where were several aids and generals in attendance. 
He passed into a small room, and wa*s greeted by the King. 
The room was a library, with books, and a writing-table 
covered with jiapers, as though His Majesty had been hard 
at work. His Majesty is a young man, twenty j^ast, with 
a frank, open face, side whiskers and moustache like down. 
He was in the undress uniform of a captain-general, and 
had a buoyant, boyish way about him which made one 
sorrow to think that on these young shoulders should rest 
the burdens of sovereignty. How much lie would have 
given to liave gone into the green fields for a romp and a 
ramble — those green fields that look so winsome from the 
window. It was only yesterday that he was among his 
toys and velocipedes, and here he is a real king, with a 
uniform showing that he ranks with the great generals of 
the world, heavily braided with bullion. Alfonso speaks 
French as though it was his own tongue, German and 
Spanish fluently, but not so well, and English with good 
accent, but a limited vocabulary. When the General 
entered, the King gave him a seat, and they entered into 
conversation, which was of the most friendly character. 
The King was lavish in his praises of the General's mili- 
tary career, and the General was tenderness itself in speak- 
ing of the King's recent loss of his charming young wife. 

Leaving Vittoria, General Grant proceeded to Madrid, 
where the General was welcomed on behalf of the King by 



864 IJFE OF GENERAL GKANT. 

the civil authorities, and especially by Colonel Noeli, a 
Spanish officer of distinction, who was detailed to attend 
him. The King had not arrived, but w^as in the north 
visiting Espartero, and reviewing his conscripts. Mr. 
Lowell gave the General a dinner and a reception, where 
men of all parties came to pay their respects to the ex^ 
President. 

A visit to Spain without seeing the Escurial would cer- 
tainly be incomplete. Regarding it thus, General Grant 
resolved to pay it a visit. The road from Madrid to the 
Escurial is somewhat dreary and desolate. It is described 
as follows : — Rocks rise above rocks in broken, fissured 
masses over a barren, stony plain. Stones, mountains 
of stones, break and fall in the most fantastic, gloomy 
sliajies. In all directions they rise and sweep and fall, and 
y<)u seem to be tugging through a world of desolation — a 
world of silence and death. Rocks, granite rocks, ridge 
heaped on ridge, corrugated, flowing irregular, stern. Deep 
fissures show now and then a shapeless shrub, craving the 
dew and the sunshine, striving to justify its forlorn exist- 
ence. No life, no sign of life, no beast, or bird, or buzzing 
insect — only the rocks that tumble over the horizon — 
only the rocks and a cold wind that blows from the snow- 
wreathed hills. Suddenly there is a vast gray building, 
with a high dome and turrets — a prodigious building that 
frowns upon you, as it were, it is so cold and vast. 

There, m its vastness and grandness, its solitude and 
loneliness, stands the Escurial. It seems, he continues, 
to leap out of the desolation and array itself against the 
rano-e of cruel towerins; cra2;s which hover over it — a child 
of the nature which surrounds it, an epitome of the wild, 
harsh, lonely land through which we have been tugging — 
a gigantic hill, severe, without beauty or majesty, with 
strength and purpose. 



TOUPt AROUND THE WORLD. 3R5 

Tlie joarty visiting the building at this time consisted of 
General and Mrs. Grant, James Russell Lowell, our jNIinis- 
ter, and his wife ; Colonel Noeli, the Spanish soldier and 
gentleman-in-waiting on the General, and Mr. Young. 

A visitor describes the visit to the Escurial in the fol- 
lowing words : — You come to the Escurial station, and de- 
scend. We come under the shadow of the monastery, and 
walk over a stony esj^lanade to the gate. A courteous offi- 
cer of the royal household awaits us, and attendants in a 
portentous royal livery — grave, elderly men, with staves 
— greet us as we enter. The door clangs back, and we are 
in a w^ide, square court-yard of stone. Walls, window- 
facings, arches, eaves, pavements, columns, all stone. 

We were escorted into the royal apartments, for kings 
have lived here, although not as in Philip's day. What 
we see are a series of rooms, rooms running into rooms, 
plainly furnished, with some exceptions. The tapestry is 
worth studying, and perhaps we should study it, but Gen- 
eral Grant, who has no eye for tapestry, w^ould be quite as 
well pleased with wall-23aper, and ^^ushes on to the win- 
dows, where he can see something growing, and beyond 
wdiich you may not only see the rocky hills, but a garden 
that has been ravaged from the rocks. As you look from 
the window, up against the hill, you are shown a re- 
cess — two or three rocks formed like a chair — where 
Philip was wont to sit and brood over his gridiron as it 
grew into shape. We are reminded that it would be well 
worth climbing up the hill and sitting in Philip's seat. 
But the way is long and the ascent is rough, and a cold 
wind is blowing, and one can see as much of the Escurial 
as he Avants without encountering pneumonia. The tapes- 
try represents *pictures of Goya and Teniers, and goes back 
to the time of Charles III. and Charles IV. Charles III. 
was almost good enough, as king, to have been a President 



SG6 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

of the United States, and lie is, perhaps, the only one since 
Charles V. who could have stood the tests of a candidature, 
and he did many things to improve Spain, to restore her 
palaces, and add to her prosperity. The only rooms that 
rise to royal value are a suite of four chambers in a corner, 
which were occupied by Isabella. I do not think there are 
four more beautiful rooms in the world. The walls are in- 
laid with rare woods ; the floors, the window-sills, every 
portion, has been as carefully decorated as though they 
had been the masterpieces of Cellini. There was a table, 
on which Isabella was wont to write her letters and procla- 
mations, a gem of decoration, as perfect as a picture. The 
whole is in exquisite taste, and shows lavish exj^ense and 
extreme care in workmanship. The cost of the rooms 
alone is set down at $1,400,000. I did not learn under 
which king this was done, but presume it was Charles IV. 
Philip never sj)ent so much money on wood-carving. He 
ke]3t it for relics and stone. 

AYe were then taken to the library. A polite attendant 
escorted us into the room, which looked warm and cosy, 
really the only living room in the Escurial. There were 
pictures — Philip with his snake eyes, Charles with his 
drooling, drooping jowl ; Charles I. in armor, and one of 
the third Philip, almost as great a fool as Charles 11. , 
with a weak but human face. The floors of this library 
are marble, and the walls are gayly colored, and you ob- 
serve that the edges of the books are turned towards you, 
and not the backs. There seemed to be no reason for this, 
but it had always been the custom in the Escurial. You 
observed, however, that the names of the books were 
printed on the edges in light letters, and so for all useful 
purposes the books are as accessible as if the backs were 
towards you. The library has shifted backward and for- 
ward, and during one of the shiftings, when the later Fer- 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 307 

dinand was king, about ten thousand volumos were lost. 
What became of them no one knows. It is not polite to 
ask questions of a king. It must have ])een a rare library 
in its day, especially in works of chivalry and theology. 
I ran along some of the shelves, as our party was pattering 
about the room, but they seemed mostly works of fathers' 
and commentaries on the faith. We were shown some 
prayer-books and missals — the real book from which 
Philip sang and prayed — well thumbed, and the prayer- 
books of others of the family. There were also some 
Arabic manuscripts, said to be of great value, but not at- 
tractive to any of our party. 

Somehow the church is not what we expected. It is 
only space. We note as we are standing on the altar step 
that above us, on the right and the left, are two groups of 
statues, effigies in bronze and gilt, which look so precious 
that we wonder the Frenchmen did not try their hammers 
upon them. On the left side, looking towards the altar, 
kneeling, with hands clasped in prayer and eyes fixed on 
the crucifix, is Charles V. His wife, daughter, and two 
sisters kneel with him. Opposite is Philip IL, also kneel- 
ing, his hands clasped in prayer. Philip has three of his 
wives with him and one of his children, the unhappy Don 
Carlos. One wife is missing — Mary of England. After 
the Armada and the strange lapses that England was then 
making from the holy faith, I presume jNIary was not wor- 
thy, even though she had been the spouse of so mighty a 
king, to be admitted into these holy precincts. This is the 
nearest approach that the makers of the Escurial permitted 
in the way of human pride. I suppose it is hardly fair to 
call it pride, for certainly there is a moral in these effigies, 
a moral to all Avho worship — that no king is so mighty 
but that he must kneel before God ; kneel and plead for 
his soul's salvation like the meanest beggar. 



368 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

You will remember that this gracious King, who now 
rests with God, and whose bones are now mouldering in 
the vaults beneath our feet, had a passion for relics. The 
bone of a saint delighted him more than the capture of a 
citadel, and he felt more joy over the possession of a rem- 
nant of the cross than over the victory of Lepanto. Kings 
must have their whims, and Philip had his. 

The Escnrial is something more than a palace. It is 
a school, a church, and a tomb. When Charles V. was 
about to leave his throne, he charged his son to build a 
royal tomb worthy of the kings of Spain. So Philip com- 
bined two vows, one to his father and the other to St. Law- 
rence of the Gridiron, and the result is the Escurial. Under 
the church — directly under the altar, so that when the 
priest raises the host, at the moment of elevation, he stands 
immediately over the sepulchre — this tomb was built. 
Our way down was over smooth steps of marble and jasper, 
so smooth that we were warned to walk warily. The room 
is dark, and the attendants carry tapers, which throw a 
glimmering light. It was Philip's idea to have the tomb 
severely plain, in keeping with the Escurial, but his son 
added marbles and bronzes and other decorations, and you 
note that the room is one of splendor. It is an octagon, 
thirty-six feet in diameter and thirty-eight feet high. 
There is a chandelier, bronze angels, a large crucifix, quite 
life-size, and an altar before which a lamp burns. The 
monarchs rest in shelves, four shelves in a row one over 
the other, each range separated from the other by double 
columns in bass-relief, with Corinthian caps. The decora- 
tions are elaborate, out of keej^ing with the Escurial, and 
not seemly in a tomb. There were twenty-six compart- 
ments, all of them filled with coffins, but many of the coffins 
wanting in occupants. The coffins are ready, and if the 
monarchy lasts there are enough for generations of kings. 



TO UK AIIOUND THE WOULD. 369 

But before we say farewell to the Escurial, let us pay a 
A'isit to the home of the great King who founded it. AVe 
pass up a stairway and enter a small cell paved with brick. 
There is a larger room adjoining. In one of the cells 
Philip lived and died, in the other attendants awaited his 
will. A window of the cell opens into the church, and 
the King, as he lay on his pallet, could fix his eyes on the 
priest at mass, on the Sacred Host as it typified the act of 
expiation, on the kneeling statue of his father. This is 
what it all came to — this ruler of many continents — 
nothing but this dingy cell, into which no light comes, an 
old man, in agony and fear and self-reproach, dreading, 
wondering, trembling, over the brink of his fate, hoping 
that prayer and song and sorrow and priestly intercessions 
may save his soul. The rooms are as Philip left them, if 
we except the necessary cleaning and scrubbing. There 
is a faded tapestry on the wall, in which you trace the 
royal arms of Austria — his father's arms. There is a 
monk's chair on which Philip sat to receive ambassadors 
and ministers ; two j)lain, stuffed, wooden chairs, where they 
could sit in his royal presence if he so willed. The floors 
are of plain brick, trampled and worn. Here was the end 
of his royalty and pomp. Here he died in misery, and 
with him the greatness of Spain, if it can be called great- 
ness, which I much question. Philip was the last of the 
Spanish kings. In him was embodied all that went to 
make a king — divine right, absolute power, indifference 
to human suffering, fanaticism, bigotry, subserviency to 
the darkest forms of mediseval superstition. He was the 
last of the kings, and it seems j^oetic in its justice tliat he 
should die as he did — that he should leave behind him 
this stupendous trophy of his character and his name. 
Grateful is the sunshine, grateful the growing elms under 
which we walk back to our stopping-place. It is like 
coming out of the seventeenth into the nineteenth century. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

GRANT VISITS TOLEDO THE CATHEDRAL THE WORK OF THE 

MOORS PAU FOX-HUNTING AN EXCITING OCCASION 

THE START THE MEET THE FINISH LISBON MEETING 

THE KING OF PORTUGAL — LITERARY EFFORTS — CINTRA 

MONTSERRAT PORTUGAL VS. SPAIN. 

During their sojourn in Spain, General Grant and bis 
party visited Toledo. Toledo is a graveyard, where are 
funeral monuments of all the civilizations of Spain. You 
walk through its streets with the melancholy interest 
which death inspires. All about you is so still and dead 
and bushed. 

Clinging to its rocky steep, looking out over the stripped 
hills of Castile, its turrets seen from afar, it seems to have 
been forgotten by the world, to be a decoration or a gem 
fastened to the world's bosom, and not a tangible, living part 
of earth. It is on the banks of a river whose waters might 
carry merchandise to the sea. It is the centre of a rich dis- 
trict. 

Madrid lying on one side, however, and Seville on the 
other, have drained the currents of its prosperity, and it lies 
stranded, interesting only because of the memorable events 
tliat have occurred within its walls. At their famous cathe- 
dral the General was shown an accumulation of silver and 
gold altar ornaments. Since an attempted robbery in 1868, 
the Virgin, with all valuable things, is kept guarded, and 
it was a special honor to General Grant that we were 
allowed to see them. Even then we were admitted into the 

(370) 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 371 

room with the utmost precaution, and attendant priests 
kept watchful eyes, lest the temptation to walk off with a 
handful of pearls would be too strong. There were vest- 
ments which we looked at until we grew weary and yearned 
for the sunshine. Nothing is more grateful than to wander 
into a cathedral, to lose yourself as it were in its recesses, 
to study out the old inscriptions, to drink in the inspiration 
of the pious men who reared it ; to think of the eternity it 
represents, standing for ages — unchanged, unchanging — 
the^ temple of the same God, the home of the same undy- 
ino- faith. How the world sinks from you, and you are in 
the presence of God! Nothing could be more grateful. 
But to be shown a cathedral, to be handed about by ])riests 
and vergers, poking a braid or a bone or a faded cloth at 
you, mumbling legend after legend, in a mechanical, auc- 
tioneer fashion — nothing can be more distressing. And it 
was with something of the spirit of men in flight that we 
escaped into the grateful air. 

From this point the journey was continued to Pau, 
where a snow-storm greeted the arrival. 

Pau is so much an English colony that fox-hunting 
has become an institution. The Pau hunt is under the 
mastership of the Earl of Howth. This gentleman conies 
to Pau for reasons of health, and has taken the master- 
ship, to the great satisfaction of all the residents. Lord 
Howth has presented two packs of hounds to the hunt, 
and oives o-reat attention to all the details of the meeting. 
The presence in Pau of so distinguished a nobk>man, 
famous for his intelligent interest in manly sports, has 
added greatly to the value of the hunt. A good deal had 
been heard of the General's horsemanship, and people were 
curious to see how he would follow the hounds, but he had 
little interest in the sport, which the bad condition of the 
ground seriously hindered. 



372 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

From Pau ihey v>eui to Lisbon, arriving on the last 
day of October. Says Mr. Young of the King : 

The King of Portugal, Don Luis I., is a young man in 
the fortieth year of his age, second cousin to the Prince of 
Wales, who is three years his junior, and between whom 
there is a marked resemblance. The Queen is the youngest 
sister of the present King of Italy. The King's father is 
Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, cousin of the late Prince 
Consort of England. His first wife, the mother of the 
King, died many years since. His second wife, now liv- 
ing, is an American lady from Boston, named Henzler, and 
is called the Countess d'Edla. One of the King's sisters 
is wife to the second son of the King of Saxony, the other, 
wife to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, 
whose election to the throne of Spain by Prim was one of 
the causes of the war between Germany and France. In 
the way of revenue the King is paid $405,000 a year and 
the Queen $66,600. The eldest son, heir-apparent, is now 
fifteen years old, and $22,200 is his salary. The second 
son is only thirteen years old, and receives $11,100. The 
King's father is paid $111,000 annually, and his brother, 
a young man of thirty-one, is general in the army and has 
a salary of $17,750 per annum. When you add the King's 
great aunt, an old lady of seventy-seven, who is paid $22,- 
200, you have the whole royal family, with their incomes, 
amounting in the aggregate to something over $650,000 a 
year. 

The King, on learning that General Grant had arrived 
in Lisbon, came to the city to meet him. There was an 
audience at the palace, the General and his wife meeting 
the King and Queen. The King, after greeting the Gen- 
eral in the splendid audience chamber, led him into an 
inner apartment, away from the Ministers and courtiers 
who were in attendance on the ceremony. 



TOUR AROUND THE WOULD. 373 

The day after the palace reception was the King's birth- 
day, and there was a gala-night at the opera. The King 
and royal femily came in state, and during the interludes 
the General had a long conversation with His jMajesty. 
The next evening there was a dinner at the palace in honor 
of the General, the Ministry and the leading men of the 
court in attendance. The King conversed with the Gen- 
eral about other themes — wanted him to go with him and 
shoot. It seems the King is a famous shot. But the Gen- 
eral's arrangements left him no time to accept this cour- 
tesy. 

It seems the King is a literary man, and having trans- 
lated "Hamlet" into Portuguese, the conversation ran into 
literary themes. The King said he hoped to finish Shake- 
speare, and make a complete translation into Portuguese. 
He had finished four of the plays — " Hamlet," "Mer- 
chant of Venice," " Macbeth," and " Kichard III." " Othel- 
lo " was under way, and already he had finished the first 
act. The question was asked as to whether His JMajesty 
•did not find it difficult to translate such scenes as that be- 
tween Hamlet and the grave-diggers — almost dialect con- 
versations — into Portuguese. The King said he thought 
this was, perhaps, the easiest part. It was more difficult 
to render into Portuguese the grander portions, where the 
poetry attained its highest flight. "The Merchant of 
Venice " he liked extremely, and " Richard III." was, in 
some respects, as fine as any of Shakespeare's plays. 
"What political insight !" said the King; "what insight 
into motives and character this play contains! " 

Finally, Don Fernando gave us a pressing invitation to 
visit his palace at Cintra. A visit to Cintra was down in 
our programme, but the King's invitation put the palace 
at our disposal, a privilege rarely given. Cintra is about 
fifteen miles from Lisbon, and we were compelled to go 



374 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

early in the morning. Our party included tlie General 
and his wife, Mr. Dimon, our Consul ; Viscount Pernes 
and Mr. Cunha de Maier, formerly Portuguese Consul- 
General in the United States, and author of a history of 
the United States in Portuguese. Mr. Moran, our Minis- 
ter, was unable to join us on account of indisposition. The 
drive was attractive, through a rolling, picturesque country, 
with cool breezes coming in from the sea that made over- 
coats pleasant. Cintra is one of the famous spots in Europe, 
but when one speaks of it he turns almost by instinct to 
" Childe Harold." You will find Byron's majestic stanzas 
describing Cintra in the first canto : — 

The horrid crags, by toppling convent crowned, 
The cork-trees hoar that clothe the shaggy steep. 

The mountain moss by scorching skies imbrowned, 
The sunken glen, whose sunless shrubs must creep, 

The tender azure of the unruffled deep, 

The orange tints that gild the greenest bough, 

The torrents that from clifi' to valley leap. 
The vine on high, the willow branch below. 
Mixed in one mighty scene, with varied beauty glow. 

Then slowly climb the many-winding way, 

And frequent turn to linger as you go. 
From loftier rocks new loveliness survey. 

And rest ye at " Our Lady's House of Woe," 
"Where frugal monks their little relics show, 

And sundry legends to the stranger tell ; 
Here impious men have punished been, and lo ! 

Deep in yon cave Honorias long did dwell. 

In hope to merit heaven by making earth a hell. 

Nearly seventy years have passed since Byron visited 
Cintra, and the picture is as perfect now as when drawn. 
It seemed odd indeed to find a place as you had imag- 
ined it! 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 275 

Montserrat, the former home of Beckford, whom Byron 
calls " England's wealthiest son," was visited also. Beck- 
ford's most elegant and costly house came into the pos- 
session of a wealthy English merchant named Cook, but 
upon whom the King has lately conferred the title of Vis- 
count of Montserrat. Mr. Cook has spent a vast sum of 
money upon the house and grounds. The house is in the 
Oriental style — a long parallelogram in the centre, with 
two oval wings, and all surrounded with columns and bal- 
conies from which you can look out upon the valley, the 
plains that sweep towards the sea, the sea alone breaking 
the horizon. The grounds, however, are among the finest 
in Europe for the value and rarity of the plants, and the 
care with which all is preserved. Notwithstanding its 
beauty Mr. Cook only spends two months of the year at 
Montserrat. His other months are spent in England man- 
aging his affairs. There is an old royal palace to be seen, 
which was the Alhambra of the Moors in their day of 
triumph. The kings of Portugal lived here before the 
discovery of America, and one of the legends goes back 
to a century before that time. The palace is a large, 
straggling building, with many chambers, and as it is no 
longer used as a royal residence, the General was curious 
to know why it could not be rented as a summer boarding- 
house, and made to contribute to the revenues of the King. 
In its day it was, no doubt, a pleasant home ; but with the 
three or four vast palaces in Lisbon and its suburbs, pal- 
aces with modern comforts, the old Moorish castle can Avell 
be kept as one of the monuments of the nation. 

We walked and drove around Cintra village. General 
Grant was so charmed with the place that he regretted he 
could not remain longer. There was a royal engagement 
bidding him to Lisbon. So we dined at Victor's Hotel, 
and as the night shadows came down bundled into our 

24 



376 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

carriages for the long drive home. The air was clear, the 
skies were bright, and it was pleasant to bound over the 
stony roads and watch the brown fields ; to pass the tav- 
erns, where peasants were laughing and chatting over their 
wine ; to roll into the city and feel the breezes from the 
river as we came to our hotel. We had made a long jour- 
ney, and the hills we climbed made it fatiguing. But no 
one spoke of fatigue, only of the rapturous beauty which 
we had seen. Cintra itself is Avorth a long journey to see, 
and to be remembered, when seen, as a dream of Paradise. 
Contrasting Portugal with Spain, one of the traveliers 
says : — The contrasts between the Portuguese and Spanish 
character are more marked than would be supposed. And 
yet it is difficult to select a type of the Spanish character 
as described in the romances. There is no such thing as 
Spain. The differences between the provinces of Spain, in 
language, character, tradition, origin, are greater than be- 
tween the Spaniard and the Englishman. Spain is com- 
posed of various provinces — Biscay, Galicia, Navarre, the 
Asturias, Leon, Castile, Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Mur- 
cia, La Mancha, Estramadura, and Andalusia. The Basque 
is a type totally distinct from every other in SjDain — (Us- 
tinct in every sense. The difference between the blue- 
eyed, industrious Catalan, and the dark-eyed, luxurious, 
sun-craving Andalusian is almost as great. The effect of 
a central government and one language has been to break 
down most of the barriers and bring the j^eople together 
under the generic name of Spanish. But although for 
centuries this process has been at work, the differences are 
great. The Basque does not assimilate, and a very ordin- 
ary knowledge of Spanish types and character would 
enable you to designate, in a body like the Cortes, for 
instance, the province from which most of the members 
spring. 



TOUIl AllOUND THE WORLD. 377 

In reference to the freedom of the two countries, lie 
says: — There is every hope that the Federal Republic 
will revive. Even the demagogues will see that the idea, 
of weakening the body because you strengthen the limbs, 
of disintegrating a State by reviving its provinces and giv- 
ing each section a strong government, is absurd. As to 
the differences of character between the Spanish and Port- 
uguese, they are not nearly so great as between Biscay and 
Andalusia. At the same time, there are differences which 
you can attribute partly to the government and partly to 
the communication with the outside world through her sea- 
ports. No influence is so decisive and salutary. Sj^ain, so 
far as the outer world is concerned, is hidden by a stoii e 
wall. She has the Mediterranean, but the breezes thsit 
come from the Mediterranean are enervating compared wit li 
what come from the Atlantic. Cervantes speaks of tlte 
Portuguese as a thick-witted, dull people, and in the com- 
edies you find frequent jokes at their expense, as in our 
comedies you find jokes about the Yankee and the Cana- 
dian. But it seemed to me, coming to Portugal from 
Spain, that a freer air was blowing. The manners of the 
people were gentler. That reserve which never leaves the 
Spaniard — their conscious, published, pride — had van- 
ished. There is a higher standard in Portugal. The 
press has complete freedom, and the editors have pride in 
their work. Take the visit of General Grant to the Pen- 
insula as an example. Few events in Spain have appar- 
ently attracted more attention than the coming of the ex- 
President. Yet the Spanish journals seem not to have 
heard of his presence, or they dismissed his movements in 
a paragraph announcing his arrival in a town, as a general 
thing, about the time he was leaving. In Portugal, the 
journals snuffed his coming, and published wood engrav- 
ings and biographies. The w^ood engravings might have 



378 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

done for many other persons, but tlie biographies were as 
accurate as such accounts generally are. Here in Lisbon 
we came upon that beneficent influence of modern journal- 
ism — the reporter. I don't think a Spanish newsj^aper ever 
heard of a reporter. As soon as the General arrived in 
Lisbon, the rejDorters appeared and took possession of the 
approaches to the hotel and opened relations with the serv- 
ants, and every morning we had columns of choice infor- 
mation in the good, old-fashioned, homely style. Our re- 
porter was not quite u]) to the New York style, which 
heaven forbid, and did not interview the General as to what 
he thought of the world. We cannot expect everything in 
a strange land. But he did well, and told Lisbon how the 
General looked, and when he walked, and what he had for 
breakfast, and how he liked his eggs cooked, and the hour 
of his rising and retiring — all in the old-fashioned style. 
In Madrid, if a newspaper neglected to say in any issue, 
" God save the King and guard His Majesty many years," 
it would be constructive disloyalty, and would incur sup- 
pression. In Lisbon, there are journals of the Miguelite 
faith, who will not speak of the King except as a private 
prince, and who write of Don Miguel as though he were 
on the throne. Such an idea as suppressing these journals 
never occurs to the authorities. They do as they please, 
and do no harm. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

CORDOVA THE MOSQUE THEY REACH SEVILLE — GRANT 

VISITS THE DUKE OF MONTPENSIER THE RUN FROM 

CADIZ GIBRALTAR TRAFALGAR DOING GRANT HONOR 

IRELAND DUBLIN RECEPTION BY THE LORD MAYOR 

GRANT BECOMES AN ULSTER IRISHMAN — OVATIONS ALL 
ALONG THE LINE — BELFAST — OFF FOR INDIA. 

From Portugal General Grant and his party returned 
to Spain. The first place visited was Cordova. A corre- 
spondent to the New York Herald writes : — It was late in 
the evening, and a heavy rain was falling, when General 
Grant and his j^arty reached Cordova. The Governor of 
the city and the authorities were waiting at the station. 
After the long ride from Lisbon it was pleasant to rest, 
even in the indifferent condition of comfort provided in a 
Spanish inn. There was a visit to the theatre, a ramble 
about the streets, which is General Grant's modern fashion 
of taking possession of a town ; there was a stroll up the 
Roman bridge, the arches of which are as stout and fresh 
as if the workmen had just laid down their tools. There 
was a visit to a Moorish mill in which the millers were 
grinding wheat. There was the casino, and the ascent of 
a tower from which Andalusia is seen spreading out before 
us green and smiling. And this sums up Cordova. Wliat 
you read of its ancient Roman and Moorish splendor, all 
traces of it have vanished, and you feel, as you wind and 
unwind yourself through the tortuous streets, that you are 
in a forgotten remnant of Spain; that civilization has 
changed its course, as rivers at home sometimes do, and 

(379) 



38U 



hlFE OF GENERAL GltANT. 



run into a new channel, leaving Cordova to one side. The 
only evidence of modern life is the railway-station. 

It was j^leasant while at Cordova to meet Mr. Hett, 
the American Secretary of Legation at Paris, and his wife, 
who were returning to France from a holiday in the Penin- 
sula. In the morning the mosque was visited. We had 
thought that it might be better to visit the mosque alone, 
without state or ceremony, but the authorities of Cordova 
were in an advanced stage of courtesy, and our visit was 
in state. It seemed almost like a desecration — this dress 




MUbQLL Ul CORDO\A. 



and parade within these unique and venerable walls. The 
mosque is even now among the wonders of Europe. It 
stands on the site of an ancient tem2:>le of Janus. Eleven 
centuries ago, the Moors resolved to l^uild a temj^le to the 
worship of God and Mohammed His prophet, which 
should surpass all otlier temples in the world. Out of this 
resolution came this building. You can see even now the 
mosque in its day justified the extravagant commendations 



TOUK AROUND TIIK WORV.D. 381 



of the Arabian historians. There was an enclosed court- 
yard, in which orange-trees were growing, and priests walk- 
ing up and down, taking the morning air. This enclosure 
seemed to be a bit out of Islam, and it looked almost like 
a jirofanation of Moslem rites to see men in attendance 
I wearing the garb of Rome — so cool, so quiet, so retired, so 
\ sheltered from the outer world they had indeed found rest. 
It is difficult to give an exact description of the mosque. 
Its value lies in the impression it makes on you, and in the 
fact that it is an almost perfect monument of ]\Ioslem civ- 
ilization in Spain. There is the ever-recurring Oriental 
arch, the inventor of which you sometimes think must 
j have found his type in the orange. There are elaborate 
' ^nd gorgeous decorations of the sacred places of the mosque, 
where the Koran was kept, where the guilty ones sought 
refuge and unfortunate ones succor, where justice was ad- 
ministered and the laws of the Koran expounded. It all 
seems as clear and fresh — so genial is this Andalusian 
atmosphere — as it came from the hand of the faithful 
kings who built it. As one strolls through the arches, 
studying each varying phase of Oriental taste, the voices 
of the priests chanting the morning service and the odor 
of incense are borne upon the air. It is startling to find 
Christians in the performance of their sacred office within 
the walls of a building consecrated by the patience and de- 
votion of the unfortunate Moors. The lesson you always 
learn in Spain is what you see to-day, and what you ad- 
mire as the work of destiny, are only phases of changing 
and vanishing civilizations. The Moor may have mused 
over the ruins of Roman splendor even as we are musing 
over the monuments of the Moor's pride ; and even after 
we are gone others may look with wondering eyes ujwn 
that monument of Christian art and fanaticism — the Es- 
curial. 



S82 LIFE OF GE:N'ERAT. GRAKT. 

Seville was the next noteworthy stop of the party. 
The day after General Grant arrived the Duke of Mont- 
pensier called, and the next day was spent by the Gen- 
eral and his party in the hospitable halls and gardens of 
St. Telmo. The Duke regretted that, his house being in 
mourning on account of the death of his daughter, Queen 
Mercedes, he could not give General Grant a more formal 
welcome than a quiet luncheon party. The Duke, the 
Duchess and their daughter were present, and after 
luncheon the General and Duke spent an hour or two 
strolling through the gardens, which are among the most 
beautiful in Europe. The Duke spoke a great deal of his 
relations with America, and especially of the part which 
his nephews had played in the war against the South. 
At the close of the reception the General drove back to 
the hotel and the next morning left for Cadiz, where a 
short visit was made. 

On November 17th the party left Cadiz in the early 
morning, Gibraltar being their next stop. General 
Duffie, our gallant and genial Consul, was with us. The 
run froui Gibraltar carries you past some of the famous 
cities of the world. It is the thin line that divides two 
continents, the barrier over which civilizations have dashed 
and fallen. So much of the romance of European travel 
is embraced in these historic memories, that you find your- 
self, even in the presence of Nature in her most gracious 
and resplendent moods, diverted from the contemplation 
of her beauty into a re very upon forgotten ages and the 
great men who lived then. This city we are leaving, for 
instance, whose towers are glowing in the morning sun, 
was founded by Hercules. The city we left the other day — 
Lisbon — was founded by Ulysses. The city to which we 
are steering was the Calpe of the classic age. And so Cadiz 
fades away. It was a long time before we lost sight of her. 



TOUR AllOU2^D THE WOULD. 383 

It is not a long journey from Cadiz to Gibraltar, and 
after passing Trafalgar all eyes look for the teeming rock 
on which England holds guard over the highway to India. 
Gibraltar is one in a line of posts which English policy is 
compelled to retain for the defence of her empire. Oddly 
enough, the impartial observer cannot help noting that this 
England, the most inoffensive of nations, always craving 
peace, wishing to molest no one, always selects for these 
posts a position of menace to other Powers. From Aden 
she menaces Egypt ; Hong Kong is a guard upon China ; 
from Heligoland she observes Germany ; Malta is the out- 
post of Italy and France and Austria, and to draw nearer 
to Russia she took Cyj^rus. Rather than surrender Malta 
she went to war w^ith Napoleon. 

The sea was very calm as we came from Cadiz, but as 
we entered Gibraltar Bay it began to roughen. The first 
thing to welcome us was the American flag flying from one 
of our men-of-war. There was some difficulty in distin- 
guishing the vessel until we came nearer, when we recog- 
nized Captain Robeson and several other officers, our old 
friends and shipmates of the steamship Vandalia. The 
General directed his vessel to steam around the Yandalia, 
and cordial greetings were exchanged between the two 
ships. As we headed into port the Vandalia mounted the 
yards, and Captain Robeson came in his barge to take the 
General on shore. The American Consul, Mv. Sprague, 
and two officers of Lord Napier's staff, met the General 
and welcomed him to Gibraltar in the name of the general 
commanding. Amid a high sea, which threw its spray 
over most of the party, we pulled ashore. On landing, a 
guard of honor presented arms, and the General drove at 
once to the house of Mr. Sprague, on the hill. 

Mr. Sprague has lived many years at Gibraltar, and, I 
believe, is the oldest consular officer in the service of the 



384 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

United States. General Grant is the third ex-President 
he has entertained at his house. Lord Napier of Magdala, 
the commander at Gibraltar, had telegraphed to Cadiz, 
asking the General to dinner on the evening of his arrival. 
At seven o'clock the General and Mrs. Grant, accomj^anied 
by the Consul, went to the palace of the Governor, called 
the Convent, and were received in the most hospitable 
manner by Lord Napier. His lordship had expressed a 
great desire to meet General Grant, and relations of cour- 
tesy had passed between them before. Lord Napier, who 
commanded the expeditionary force in Abyssinia, having 
sent General Grant King Theodore's Bible. The visit to 
Gibraltar may be summed up in a series of dinners — first, 
at the Governor's palace ; second, with the mess of the 
Koyal Artillery ; again, at the Consul's. Then there were 
private and informal dinners at Lord Napier's, with whom, 
indeed, the General spent most of his time. 

From Gibraltar and the Mediterranean, General Grant 
and his party proceeded to Ireland, and reached Dublin 
on the 3d of January. Upon landing they were met by 
representatives of the city corporation, by whom they were 
warmly welcomed. They were at once driven to the Shel- 
bourne Hotel, where the General prej)ared to meet the 
Lord Mayor at the City Hall. The city was full of stran- 
gers, and much enthusiasm was manifested when the Gen- 
eral and his party left their hotel to drive to the Mansion 
House. On arriving at the Mayor's official residence, they 
were cheered by a large crowd that had gathered to greet 
the illustrious ex-President. The Lord Mayor, in j^re- 
senting the freedom of the city, referred to the cordiality 
always existing between America and Ireland, and hoped 
that in America General Grant would do everything he 
could to help a people who sympathize with every Ameri- 
can movement. 



TOUR AUOU^'L) THE WOULD. 3 SI 

On Moiulay, January 8tli, General Grant and liis party 
left Dublin for Londonderry and Belfast. The Lord Mayor 
accompanied them to the railway-station, and bade them 
farewell. The morning was cold, and as the train 2:)ro- 
gressed northward ice, snow, cold winds, and, finally, rain, 
were encountered. At Dundalk, Omagh, Strabane, and 
other stations, large crowds were assembled, and the people 
•cheered the ex-President, putting their hands into the cars 
and shaking hands with him whenever possible. The ex- 
pressions of ill-feeling towards General Grant in Cork had 
aroused the Protestant sentiments of the Irish people of 
Ulster in his favor. 

At two o'clock the train reached Derry. A heavy rain 
had covered the ground with ice, rendering the view of the 
city and surroundings most charming, as seen through the 
mists and gossamer of falling snow. At the station an 
immense crowd, apparently the whole town and neighbor- 
hood, had assembled. The multitude was held in check 
by the police. The Mayor welcomed General Grant cor- 
dially, and he left the station amid great cheering. 

The great majority of the crowd cheered madly, and 
followed General Grant's carriage to the hotel. The ships 
in the harbor were decorated with flags and streamers, and 
the town was en fete. A remarkably cold, driving rain set 
in at three o'clock, just as General Grant and his party 
drove in state to the ancient town hall. The crowd ^y^ 
so dense near the hall that progress through it was made 
with great difiiculty. At the entrance of the building the 
Mayor and Council, in their robes of office, received the 
ex-President. Amid many expressions of enthusiasm from 
the people of Londonderry, an address was read extolling 
the military and civil career of General Grant, which was 
pronounced second in honor only to that of Washington. 

General Grant signed the roll, thus making himself an 
Ulster Irishman. 



386 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The train reached Belfast station at half-past two 
o'clock. The reception accorded General Grant was im- 
posing and extraordinary. The linen and other mills had 
stopped work, and the workmen stood out in the rain in 
thousands. From the train-window, Grant saw a perfect 
sea of heads, which showed the eagerness of the people 
to honor the distinguished traveller. The platform of the 
• Btation was covered with scarlet carpet. The Mayor and 
members of the City Council welcomed the General, who 
descended from the car amid tremendous cheers. Crowds 
ran after the carriages containing the city authorities and 
their illustrious guest, and afterwards surrounded the hotel 
where the General was entertained. 

Upon reaching Dublin, Lord Mayor Barrington and a 
considerable number of persons were on the platform at the 
railway-station, and cordially welcomed the General. As 
soon as all the party had descended, the Lord Mayor in- 
vited the General into his carriage and drove him to West- 
ward Row, where the Irish mail-train was ready to depart, 
having been detained eight minutes for the ex-President. 

There was a most cordial farewell, and a great shaking 
of hands. The Mayor and his friends begged Grant to 
return soon and make a longer stay. Soon Kingston was 
reached, and in a few minutes the party were in the special 
cabin which had been provided for them on board the mail- 
steamer. Special attention was paid to the General by the 
officers of the vessel. Grant left the Irish shores at twenty 
minutes past seven o'clock. 

London was duly reached, and tlie travellers became the 
guests of the American Minister, Mr. Welsh, From Lon- 
don the party went to Marseilles, whence, at noon on the 
day following, they embarked on the French steamship 
" Labourdonais " for India via Suez. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

FROM MARSEILLES TO BOMBAY THE SUEZ CANAL ALEX 

ANDRIA AGAIN ON BOARD THE VENETIA LANDING AT 

APOLLO BUNDER THE CAVES OF ELEPHANTA BRAHMA, 

VISHNU AND SIVA THE ENTERTAINMENT AT MALABAR 

POINT — VISIT TO JEYPOOR RECEPTION AT THE PALACE 

— THE PALACE OF AMBER — THE TAJ — BEAUTIFUL SCENES 
— BHURTPOOR. 

The voyage from Marseilles to Bombay was a pleasant 
one. Like a thing of life the vessel bearing the travellers 
danced upon the crested waves of the Mediterranean. As 
they passed along, Etna was seen towering in the distance, 
with villages nestling at its base. After skirting along the 
African coast, they disembarked near Alexandria. A short 
ride by rail brought them to the Suez Canal, where they 
took passage on another boat, called the Venetia, and pro- 
ceeded on their way down the Eed Sea. The journey at 
this point is one of great interest, since the banks of that 
Sea are hallowed by the footsteps of the Israelites. Many 
points of historic interest were pointed out, among which 
Mount Sinai was, perhaps, the most important. 

The vessel touched at Aden just long enough to allow 
the travellers to mail their letters, and then quietly passed 
on towards Bombay. Their arrival at the latter point is 
thus narrated : — Our departure from Europe had been so 
sudden that we had no idea that even our Consul at Bom- 
bay knew of our coming. All arrangements were made to 
go to a hotel, and from thence make our journey ; but the 

(387) 



388 



LIFE OF GENEllxVL GRANT, 



Venetia had scarcely entered the harbor before we saw evi- 
dences that the General was exj^ected. Ships in the harbor 
were dressed with flags, and at the wharf was a large crowd 
— soldiers, natives, Europeans. As we passed the English 
flag-ship, a boat came alongside with an oflicer represent- 
ing Admiral Corbett, welcoming the General to India. In 
a few minutes came another boat bearing Caj)tain Frith, 
the military aid to Sir Richard Temple, Governor of the 




THE SUEZ CANAL. 



Presidency of Bombay. Captain Frith bore a letter from 
the Governor, welcoming the General to Bombay, and 
offering him the use of the Government House at Malabar 
Point. Captain Frith expressed the regret of Sir Pichard, 
that he could not be in Bombay to meet General Grant, but 
duties connected with the Afghan war kept him in Sind. 
The Consul, Mr. Farnham, also came with a delegation of 
American residents and welcomed the General and party. 



390 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



At nine o'clock in the morning the last farewells were 
spoken, we took our leave of the many kind and pleasant 
friends we had made on the Venetia, and went on board 
the Government yacht. Our landing was at the Apollo 
Bunder — the spot where the Prince of AVales landed. 
The tides in the harbor are high, and there were stone 
steps over which the sea had been washing. As we drew 
near the shore, there was an immense crowd lining the 




THE RED SEA ENTRANCE TO THE SUEZ CANAL. 

wharf and a company of Bombay volunteers in line. As 
the General ascended the steps he was met by Brigadier- 
General Aitcheson, commanding the forces ; Sir Francis 
Souter, Commissioner of Police ; Mr. Grant, the Municijoal 
Commissioner, and Colonel Sexton, commanding the Bom- 
bay volunteers, all of whom gave him a hearty welcome 
to India. The volunteers presented arms, the band played 
our national air, and the General was loudly cheered. 



TOUR AROUND THE AVORLD. 891 

In Bombay the General's party made their home at the 
Government House, on Mahibar Point, in the city's suburbs. 
MaUibar Point is an edge of the ishuid of Bombay jutting 
out into the Indian Ocean. Where the bhifi' overlooivs tlie 
waters it is one hundred feet high. This remnant of tlie 
rock has been rescued from the sea and storm and deco- 
rated with trees and shrubbery, the mango and the palm. 
Overlooking the sea is a battery with five large guns, shin- 
ing and black, looking out upon the ocean and keeping 
watch over the Empire of England. It is difficult to de- 
scribe a residence like the Government House on Malabar 
Point. Architecture is simply a battle with the sun. The 
house is a group of houses. As you drive in the grounds, 
through stone gates that remind you of the porters' lodges 
at some stately English mansions, you pass through an 
avenue of mango trees, past beds of flowers throwing out 
their delicate fragrance on the warm morning air. You 
come to a one-storied house surrounded with spacious 
verandas. There is a wide state entrance covered with 
red cloth. ' A guard is at the foot, a native guard wearing 
che English scarlet, on his shoulders the number indicating 
the regiment. You pass up the stairs, a line of servants 
on either side. The servants are all Mohammedans ; they 
wear long scarlet gowns, with white turbans ; on the breast 
is a belt with an imperial crown for an escutcheon. They 
salute you with the grave, submissive grace of the East, 
touching the forehead and bending low the head, in token 
of welcome and duty. You enter a hall and pass between 
two rooms — large, high, decorated in blue and white, and 
look out upon the gardens below, the sea beyond, and the 
towers of Bombay. One of these rooms is the state dining- 
room, large enough to dine fifty people. The other is the 
state drawing-room. This house is only used for ceremo- 
nies, meals, and receptions. 

25 



892 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

You pass for one hundred paces under a covered way 
over a path made of cement and stone, through flower-beds 
and palm-trees, and come to another house. Here are the 
principal bedrooms and private chambers. This also is 
one story high and runs down to the sea, so that you Can 
stand on a balcony and throw a biscuit into the white surf 
as it combs the shore. These are the apartments assigned 
to General Grant and his wife. There are drawing-rooms, 
anterooms, chambers, the walls high, the floors covered 
with rugs and cool matting. As you pass in, servants, 
who are sitting crouched around on the floors, rise up and 
bend the head. You . note a little group of shoes at the 
door, and learn that in the East custom requires those in 
service to unslipper themselves before entering the house 
of a master. Another hundred paces and you come to 
another house, with wide verandas, somewhat larger than " 
the General's. These are the guest chambers, and here a . 
part of our party reside. 

On Friday evening, the General visited the ball of the 
Volunteer Corps, and was received by Colonel Sexton. 
The ballroom was profusely decorated with flags — the 
American flag predominating. On Saturday, at two, he 
visited Dossabhoy Merwanjee, a Parsee merchant. The 
reception was most cordial, the ladies of the family deco- ''^. 
rating the General and party with wreaths of jessamine 
flowers. In the afternoon he drove to the Byculla Club, 
lunched, and looked at the races. In the evening there 
was a state dinner at the Government House, with forty- 
eight guests. The Government band played during dinner. 
The member of Council, Hon. James Gibbs, who repre- 
sents the Governor, was in the chair. At the close of the 
dinner he proposed the health of the General, who arose 
amid loud cheering, and said a few pleasant words. His 
reception in Bombay had been most gratifying. 



i 



TOUR AROUND THE WORUD. 393 

During their stay at Bombay, the party visited the cele- 
brated caves of Elephaiita. The corresi)ondent thus de- 
scribes the visit : — We have a cooUno- breeze coniiny; in 
from the Indian Ocean, and as we slowly climb easy flights 
of steps we have an almost naked retinue of Hindoos, in 
various stages of squalor, asking alms and offering to sell 
us gold beetles. The temples are reached in time, and we 
stroll about studying out the figures, noting the columns 
and the curious architecture, full, rude, massive, unlike any 
forms of architectural art familiar to us. The main temple 
is 125 feet long, and the same in width. The idols are 
hewn out of the rock. The faces of some are comely, and 
there is a European expression in the features that startles 
you. The type is a higher one than those we saw in Egypt. 
One of the idols is supposed to be the Hindoo Trinity — 
Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. 

On Monday the General was entertained in state at the 
Government House, at Malabar Point. Hon. James Gibbs, 
the member of the Council who acted as Governor in the 
absence of Sir Richard Temple, presided, and at the close 
of the dinner a splendid social time was enjoyed. This 
entertainment closed the visit at Bombay. 

From Bombay they went to Jeypoor. One of the party 
writes : — Our ride was through a low, uninteresting country, 
broken by ranges of hills. The railway is narrow gauge, 
and, as I learned from one of the managers who accom- 
panied us, has proved a success, and strengthens the argu- 
ments in favor of the narrow gauge system. It was night 
before we reached Jeypoor. On arriving at the station, 
the Maharajah was present with his Ministers, and the 
English Resident, Dr. Hendley, who acted in place of 
Colonel Beynon. As the General descended, the Maha- 
rajah, who wore the ribbon and star of the Order of India, 
advanced and shook hands, welcoming him to his realm. 



394 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The next day after our arrival there was a reception 
at the royal palace. We drove to the palace at four 
o'clock, and were shown the royal stables. There were 
some fine horses and exhibitions of horsemanship, which 
astonished even the General. We were shown the astro- 
nomical buildings of Jai Singh II., which were on a large 
scale and accurately graded. We climbed to the top of 
the palace and had a fine view of Jeypoor. It embraces 
one-sixth of the city. At five o'clock we entered the court- 
yard leading to the reception hall. The Maharajah came 
slowly down the steps with a serious, preoccupied air ; not 
as an old man, but as one who was too weary with a day's 
labors to make any effort, and shook hands with the Gen- 
eral and Mrs. Grant. He accompanied the General to a 
seat of honor and sat down at his side. We all ranged 
ourselves in the chairs. On the side of the General sat 
the members of his j)arty ; on the side of the Maharajah, 
the members of his cabinet. Dr. Hendley acted as inter- 
l^reter. The Prince said Jeypoor was honored in seeing 
the face of the great American ruler, whose fame had 
reached Hindostan. 

His Highness then made a gesture, and a troop of danc- 
ing-girls came into the court-yard. One of the features of 
a visit to JeyjDoor is what is called the Nautch. The Nautch 
is a sacred affair, danced by Hindoo girls of a low caste, in 
the presence of the idols in the palace temple. A group 
of girls came trooping in, under the leadership of an old 
fellow with a long beard and a hard expression of face, 
who might have been the original of Dickens' Fagin. The 
girls wore heavy garments embroidered, the skirts com- 
posed of many folds, covered with gold braid. They had 
ornaments on their heads, and jewels in the side of the nose. 
They had plain faces, and their dance had no value either 
as an expression of harmony, grace, or motion. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



In a trip to the Palace of Amber, Mrs. Grant rode in a 
sedan chair, which is carried in a short, measured quick- 
step, so that there is no uneasiness to the rider. The rest 
of us rode elephants. 

Of the Palace of Amber the most one can say is that 
it is curious and interesting as the home of an Indian king- 
in the days when India was ruled by her kings and a 
Hastings and a Clive had not come to rend and destroy. 
The Maharajah has not quite abandoned it. He comes 
sometimes to the great feasts of the faith, and a few apart- 
ments are kept for him. His rooms were ornamented with 
looking-glass decorations, with carved marble which the 
artisan had fashioned into tracery so delicate that it looked 
like lacework. What strikes you in this Oriental decora- 
tion is its tendency to light, bright, lacelike gossamer work, 
showing infinite pains and patience in the doing, but with- 
out any special value as a real work of art. The general 
effect of these decorations is agreeable, but all is done for 
effect. There is no such honest, serious work as you see 
in the Gothic cathedrals, or even in the Alhambra. One 
is the expression of a facile, sprightly race, fond of the 
sunshine, delighting to repeat the caprice of nature in the 
curious and quaint ; the other has a deep, earnest purpose. 
This is an imagination which sees its gods in every form — 
in stones and trees and beasts and creeping things, in the 
stars above, in the snake wriggling through the hedges — 
the other sees only one God, even the Lord God Jehovah, 
who made the heavens and the earth, and will come to 
judge the world at the last day. As you wander through 
the court-yards and chambers of Amber, the fancy is 
amused by the character of all that surrounds you. There 
is no luxury. All these kings wanted was air and sun- 
shine. They slept on the floor. The chambers of their 
wives were little more than cells built in stone. Here are 
the walls that surrounded their section of the palace. 



396 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

There are no windows looking into the outer world, only 
a thick stone wall pierced with holes slanting upward, so 
that if a curious spouse looked out she would see nothing 
lower than the stars. Amber is an immense palace, and 
could quite accommodate a rajah with a court of a thousand 
attendants 

There were some beautiful views from the terrace, and 
we sat in the shade between the columns and looked into 
the valley beyond, over which the sun was streaming in 
midday splendor. We should like to have remained, but 
our elephants had been down to the water to lap them- 
selves about, and were now returning, refreshed, to bear 
us back to Jeypoor. We had only given ourselves a day 
for the town, and we had to return the call of the Prince, 
which is a serious task in Eastern etiquette. Mr. Borie 
was quite beaten down and used up by the sun and the 
wabbling, wearisome elephant ride, but we succeeded in 
persuading him to make the descent in a chair as Mrs. 
Grant had done. While Mr. Borie and Mrs. Grant were 
off swinging and lolling down the hill, the rest of us took 
a short cut among the ruins, leaping from stone to stone, 
watching the ground carefully as we went, to see that we 
disturbed no coiled and sleeping cobra, until we came upon 
our huge and tawny brutes, and were wabbled back to our 
carriages and in our carriages to town. 

Leaving Jeypoor the party went to Agra. At Agra they 
visited the Taj. Mr. Young writes: "The gardens are 
the perfection of horticulture, and you see here, as in no 
part of India that I have visited, the wealth and beauty of 
nature in Hindostan. The landscape seems to be flushed 
with roses, with all varieties of the rose, and that most sunny 
and queenly of flowers seems to strew your path, and bid 
you welcome, as you saunter down the avenues and up the 
ascending slope that leads to the shrine of a husband's love 




397 



398 LIFE OF GENERAL (UtANT. 

and a mother's consecration. There is a row of fountains 
which throw ont a spray and cool the air, and when you 
pass the trees and come to the door of the buikUng, its great- 
ness comes upon you — its greatness and its beauty. Mr. 
Keene took us to various parts of the garden, that we might 
see it from different points of view. I coukl see no value 
in one view beyond the other. And wdien our friend, in 
the spirit of courteous kindness, pointed out the defects of 
the building — that it was too much this, or too much that, 
or would have been perfect if it had been a little less of 
something else — there was just the least disposition to re- 
sent criticism, and to echo the opinion of Mr. Borie, who, 
as he stood looking at the exquisite towers and solemn 
marble walls, said, " It was worth coming to India to see 
the Taj." I value that criticism, because it is that of a 
practical business man, concerned with affairs, and not dis- 
posed to see a poetic side to any subject. What he saw in 
the Taj was the idea that its founder meant to convey — the 
idea of solemn, overj^owering, and unapproachable beauty. 
As you enter, you see a vast dome, every inch of w^hich 
is enriched with inscriptions in Arabic, verses from the 
Koran, engraved marble, mosaics, decorations in agate and 
jasper. In the centre are two small tombs of white marble, 
modestly carved. These cover the resting-place of the 
Emperor and his wife, whose bodies are in the vault under- 
neath. In other days the Turkish priests read the Koran 
from the gallery, and you can imagine how solemn must 
have been the eftect of the words chanted in a priestly 
cadence by the echo that answers and again answers the 
chanting of some tune by one of the party. The more 
closely you examine the Taj, the more you are perplexed 
to decide whether its beauty is to be found in the general 
effect of the design as seen from afar, or the minute and 
finished decorations which cover every wall. The general 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 399 

idea of the building is never lost. There is nothing trivial 
about the Taj, no grotesque Gothic moulding or flowering 
Corinthian columns — all is cold and white and chaste and 
pure. You may form an idea of the size of the Taj from 
the figures of the measurement of the royal engineers. 
From the base to the top of the centre dome is 139^ feet; 
to the summit of the pinnacle, 243 i feet. It stands on the 
banks of the River Jumna, and it is said that Shah Jehan 
intended to build a counterpart in black marble, in which 
his own ashes should rest. But misfortunes came to Shah 
Jehan — ungrateful children, strife, deposition — and when 
he died, his son felt that the Taj was large enough for both 
father and mother. One is almost glad that the black 
marble idea never germinated. The Taj, by itself alone, 
is unapproachable. A duplicate would have detracted from 
its peerless beauty. 

We remained in the gardens until the sun went down, 
and we had to hurry to our carriages not to be caught in 
the swiftly descending night. The gardener came to Mrs. 
Grant with an offering of roses. Some of us, on our return 
from Jeypoor, took advantage of the new moon to make 
another visit. We had been told that the moonlight gave 
a new glory even to the Taj. It was the night before we 
left Agra, and we could not resist the temptation, even at 
the risk of keeping some friends waiting who had asked us 
to dinner, of a moonlight view. It was a new moon, which 
made our view imperfect. But such a view as was given 
added to the beauty of the Taj. The cold lines of the 
marble were softened by the shimmering silver light. The 
minarets seemed to have a new height, and the dome had a 
solemnity as became the canopy of the mother and queen. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

THEY REACH DELHI VISIT TO THE KUTAB AMID THE SCENES 

OF THE SEPOY REBELLION THE SACRED CITY OF THE 

HINDOOS BENARES AND ITS PRIESTS CALCUTTA AT 

THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE THE UNIVERSITY THE VICE- 
ROY'S COUNTRY-SEAT THE KING OF OUDE RANGOON 

HINDOO CUSTOMS AND SOCIETY THE PAGODA. 

The correspondent of General Grant's party writes as 
follows : " We came into Delhi early in the afternoon in a 
worn-out, fagged condition. There was a recej^tion by the 
troops, and the General with Mrs. Grant drove to Ludlow 
Castle, the home of Gordon Young, the chief officer. 
The others found quarters in a comfortable hotel — com- 
fortable for India — near the railway-station. 

The first impression Delhi makes upon you is that it is 
a beautiful town. But I am afraid that the word town, as 
^e understand it at home, will give you no idea of a town 
in India. We think of houses built closely together, of 
avenues and streets, and people living as neighbors and 
friends. In India, a town is built for the air. The natives 
in some of the native sections, in the bazaars, live closely 
together, huddle into small cubby-holes of houses or rude 
caves, in huts of mud and straw, but natives of wealth 
and Englishmen build their houses where they may have 
space. A drive through Delhi is like a drive through the 
lower part of Westchester county or any of our country 
suburbs. The officials have their bungalows in the finest 
localities, near wood and water when possible, surrounded 

400 



TOUR AEOUND THE AVORLD. 401 

* 

by gardens. What strikes you in India is the excellence 
of the roads and the beauty of the gardens. This was 
especially true of Delhi. As you drove from the dusty 
station, with the strains of welcoming music and the clang 
of presenting arms in your ears, you passed through a 
section that might have been an English country town 
with gentlemen's seats all around. 

There are few cities in the world which have had a 
more varied and more splendid career than Delhi. It is 
the Rome of India, and the history of India centres 
around Delhi. It has no such place as Benares in the re- 
ligion of the people, but to the Indians it is what Eome in 
the ancient days was to the Roman Empire. One of its 
authentic monuments goes back to the fourth century 
before Christ. Its splendor began with the rise ot the 
Moo-ul empire, and as you ride around the suburbs you 
see the splendor of the Moguls in what they built and the 
severity of their creed in what they destroyed. After you 
pass from the English section, a ride through Delhi is sad. 
You go through miles of ruins — the ruins of many wars 
and dynasties, from what was destroyed by the Turk m 
the twelfth century to what was destroyed by the English- 
man in the nineteenth. From the Cashmere gate to the 
Kutab, eleven miles, your road is through rums. Tombs, 
temples, mausoleums, mosques, in all directions. 

Among the sights to be beheld in Delhi is the palace ot 
the Grand Mogul, concerning which our correspondent 
says: In wandering about Delhi your mind is attracted 
to these sad scenes. What it must have been when the 
Moo-uls reigned vou may see in the old palace, the great 
mo°que of Shah Ishan, and the Kutab. On the afternoon 
of our arrival we were taken to the palace, which is now 
used as a fort for the defence of the city. We ha^'e an 
idea of what the palace must have been in its palmy days. 



402 LIFE OF GENERAL GllAXT. 

An interesting visit, worthy of remembrance, was our 
drive to the Kutab. We drove out in the early morning, 
and our course was for eleven miles through the ruins of 
the ancient city. 

The Kutab, or tower, was for a long time looming over 
the horizon before we came to its base. This tower ranks 
among the wonders of India. It is 238 feet high, sloping 
from the base, which is forty-seven feet in diameter, to the 
summit, which is nine feet. It is composed of five sections 
or stories, and Avith each story there is a change in the design. 
The lower section has twenty-four sides, in the form of 
convex flutings, alternately semicircular and rectangular. 
In the second section they are circular, the third angular, 
the fourth a plain cylinder, the fifth partly fluted and 
partly plain. At each basement is a balcony. On the 
lower sections are inscriptions in scroll work, reciting in 
Arabic characters the glory of God, verses from the Koran, 
and the name and achievements of the conqueror who built 
the tower. It is believed that when really comj)lete, with 
the cuj)ola, it must have been twenty feet higher. The 
work goes back to the fourteenth century, and with the 
exception of the cupola, which, we think, some British 
government might restore, it is in a good state of preser- 
vation. Everything in the neighborhood is a ruin. 

From Delhi the party proceeded to Lucknow, where, 
during the famous Sepoy rebellion, a handful of English 
residents defended themselves against overwhelming forces, 
until relieved by Havelock and Sir Colin Campbell. 

Benares, the sacred city of the Hindoos, was the next 
point visited. It is a city of Buddhist priests, full of 
temples, mosques and shrines, and it is estimated that 
there are a half million of idols in the city. The city 
abounds in paupers and beggars, however, and in tew 
places do extremes meet so remarkably. 



f 



m K^A^^n^^ 




404 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

After visiting Benares the party proceeded to Cal- 
cutta, where they arrived early on the morning of March 
10th. Their arrival is thus detailed : — The American 
Consul-General, General Litchfield, was present at the 
station, with a guard of honor from the Viceroy and an 
aid. The General drove off in the state carriages, with a 
small escort of cavalry, to the Government House, where 
preparations had been made by Lord Lytton for the recep- 
tion of himself and party. The streets had been watered, 
and there was just the suspicion of a cool breeze from the 
Hoogly, which, after the distress of a long night ride, 
made our morning drive pleasant. A line of native police- 
men was formed for a distance of about two miles, from 
the railway-station to the door of the Government House, 
who saluted the General as he drove along. The Govern- 
ment House is a large, ornate building, standing in a park 
or open square, and was built in 1804. The corner-stone 
was laid about the time that Washington laid the founda- 
tion of the Capitol. The cost of the building was $750,000. 

Of the public buildings, the Fort is, perhaps, the most 
important. It was begun by Clive, after the battle of Plas- 
sey, and cost $10,000,000. It mounts 600 guns, and is a 
strong work in good preservation. This is the home of the 
Commander-in-Chief of the army. There is a town hall 
in the Doric style, with some large rooms for public enter- 
tainments. The Court-House is a Gothic j)ile, with a mas- 
sive tower. In Dalhousie Square is the Currency Ofiice, a 
large building in the Indian style of architecture. The 
Mint stands on the river-bank. It is composed of two 
buildings, which, with the grounds, cover a space of eigh- 
teen and one-half acres, and is said to be the largest mint 
in the world. There is a Custom House, a bonded ware- 
house, and a block known as the Writers' Buildings, where 
young men find homes when they come to India. 



TOUK AROUND THE WUilJ.D. 405 

The Viceroy received General Grant with great kind- 
ness. Lord Lytton said he Avas honored in having as his 
guest a gentleman whose career he had so long followed 
with interest and respect, and that it was especially agree- 
able to him to meet one who had been chief magistrate of 
a country in which he had spent three of the happiest 
years of his life. Lord Lytton had reference to his resi- 
dence in Washington as a member of the British Lega- 
tion, during the time when his uncle, Sir Henry Bulwer, 
was Minister to the United States. The Viceroy regretted 
that the duties of his office, which, on account of Burmese 
and Afghan complications and his departure for Simla, 
were unusually pressing, prevented his seeing as much of 
the members of the General's party as he wished. Tn the 
afternoon we drove around the city and listened to the 
band. All the English world o^ Calcutta spend the cool 
of the day in the gardens, and the General and the Vice- 
roy had a long stroll. 

The next day was given to an excursion up the Hoogly, 
to the Viceroy's country-seat at Barrackpoor. At the last 
moment, Lord Lytton found he could not go, and the honors 
of the day were done in his name by Sir Ashley Eden. 
Barrackpoor is about twelve miles U23 the river, and the 
hour for our departure was noon. We drove to the dock 
under a beating sun, and embarked on the Viceroy's 
yacht. The party was a small one, comprising the lead- 
ing members of the government, with their families. 

The native gentlemen and jmnces of high rank were 
presented by the Viceroy to General Grant. Some of 
these names were the foremost in India. Some are de- 
posed princes, or descendants of deposed princes. Others 
were Brahmins of high caste ; some rich bankers and 
merchants. The son of the King of Oude came with his 
son. He has an effeminate, weak face. On his head he 
wore a headdress shaped like a crow^n and covered with 
gold foil and lace. The King of Oude lives in Calcutta, 
on an allowance of $600,000 a year. 



406 LIFE OF GENERAL GliANT. 

We left Calcutta at midnight, in order to catch the 
tides in the Hoogly, on board the steamer Simla, of the 
British-India Navigation Company, commanded by Cajitain 
Franks, a young and able officer. The Simla was as pleas- 
ant and comfortable as though it had been our own yacht, 
and our run across the Bay of Bengal was over a summer 
sea. 

We sailed up the river to Rangoon and arrived at the 
wharf about noon. A fierce sun was blazing, and the 
wdiole landscaj^e seemed baked, so stern was the heat. 
Rangoon is the princij^al city of Burmah, and seen from 
the wharf is a low-lying, straggling town. Two British 
men-of-war were in the harbor, who manned their yards 
in honor of the General. All the vessels in the stream 
were dressed, and the jaunty little Simla streamed with 
flags. The landing was Covered with scarlet cloth, and the 
American and British standards were l)lended. All the 
town seemed to be out, and the river-bank was lined with 
the multitude, who looked on in their passive Oriental 
fashion at the pageant. As soon as our boat came to the 
wharf, Mr. Aitcheson, the Commissioner, came on board, 
accompanied by Mr. Leishmann, the American Vice-Con- 
sul, and bade the General welcome to Burmah. On land- 
ing, the General was presented to the leading citizens and 
officials and the officers of the men-of-war. The guard 
of honor j^resented arms and we all drove away to the 
Government House, a pretty, commodious bungalow in the 
suburbs, buried among trees. Mr. Aitcheson, our host, is 
one of the most distinguished officers in the Indian service. 
He was for some time Foreign Secretary at Calcutta. 
Burmah, however, is already one of the most important 
of the British colonies in Asia, and this importance is not 
diminished by the critical relations between British Burmah 
and the court of the King. Consequently, England re- 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 407 

quires the best service possible in Burmab, and, as a result 
of her policy of sending her wisest men to the most useful 
places, Mr. Aitcheson finds himself in Rangoon. AVe may 
be said, in fact, to have arrived in Burniah during a crisis, 
and we had read in the Calcutta papers of the deej^ feeling 
created throughout Burmah by the atrocities of the new 
Kino-, who had murdered most of his relatives and was 
talking about taking off the head of the British Resident 
at Mandalay. We also read that there was excitement 
among the people, commotion, a universal desire for the 
punishment of this worthless king, and the annexation of 
Upper Burmah. I expected to find the streets of Rangoon 
lined with people, as at home during an exciting election 
canvass, clamoring against the King, demanding the benef- 
icent rule of England. I only saw the patient, dreamy, 
plodding Asiatic bearing his burdens like his brethren in 
India, content if he can assure a mess of rice for his food 
and a scrap of muslin for his loins. As to the rest, accept 
it as an axiom, that when the moral sensibilities of the 
English statesmen in India become so outraged as to become 
uncontrollable it means more territory. 

Our days in Rangoon were pleasant. The town is in- 
teresting. It is Asiatic, and at the same time not Indian. 
You have left Hindostan, and all the forms of that vivid 
and extraordinary civilization, and you come upon a new 
people. Here you meet John, the inscrutable John, who 
troubles you so much in California, and whose fate is the 
gravest problem of our day. You see Chinese signs on the 
houses, Chinese workmen on the streets, shops where you 
can drink toddy and smoke opium. This is the first ripple 
we have seen of that teeming empire towards which we 
are steering. Politically, Burmah is a part of the British 
Empire, but it is really one of the outposts of China, and 
from now until we leave Japan we shall be under the in- 

26 



408 LIFE OF GENERAL GRAKT. 

fluence of China. The Hindoos you meet are from Madras, 
a different type from those we saw on our tour. The Bur- 
mese look like Chinese to our unskilled eyes, and it is pleas- 
ant to see women on the streets and in society. The streets 
are wide and rectangular, like those of Philadelphia, and 
the shade-trees are grateful. Over the city, on a height, 
which you can see from afar, is a pagoda, one of the most 
famous in Asia. It is covered with gilt, and in the even- 
ing, when we first saw it, the sun's rays made it dazzling. 
We knew from the j^agoda that in leaving India, and 
coming to Burmah, we leave the land of Brahma, and come 
to the land of Buddha, and that remarkable religion called 
Buddhism. 

The institution of caste, ujDon which the Hindoo faith 
and the whole structure of Hindoo society rests, is not 
known in Buddhism. There is no priestly class like the 
Brahmins, claiming grotesque, selfish, and extraordinary 
privileges, descending from father to son, claiming honors 
almost divine, and teaching that all the good things of the 
world are especially intended for the Brahmins. The 
priests, like those in the Catholic Church, are taken from 
any rank in life. They do not marry. They deny them- 
selves all pleasures of the sense, live a monastic life, dress 
in yellow gowns (yellow being a sacred color), shave their 
heads and beards, and walk barefooted. They live in 
common, eat in common. When they sieej), it is in a 
sitting posture. They go to church, pray, chant hymns, 
make offerings to their gods, — princi2:)al among them a 
statue of Buddha, — sometimes alone, sometimes with his 
disciples. The statue of Buddha holds the same position 
in the temples of his faith that the statue of our Saviour 
holds in the Catholic churches. As you go into these 
temples you are impressed with other forms of resemblance 
between the two systems of worship. 



I 




409 



410 LIFE OF GENERAL GllANT 

Our first visit was to the famous pagoda, which rests 
upon Kangoon like a crown of gold, its burnished splendor 
seen from afar. The jDagoda is in the centre of a park of 
about two acres, around which are fortifications. These 
fortifications were defended by the Burmese during their 
war with the English, and in the event of a sudden out- 
break, or a mutiny, or a war, would at once be occupied. 
During the Burmese wars the pagoda was always used as a 
fort, and now, in the event of an alarm, or an invasion, or 
a mutiny, the troops and people would at once take posses- 
sion. Ever since that horrible Sunday afternoon in Meerut, 
when the Sepoys broke out of their barracks, burned every 
house, and butchered every woman and child in the European 
quarter, all these Asiatic settlements have a place of refuge 
to which the population can fly. A small guard was on 
duty as we passed up tlie ragged steps that led to the pagoda. 
There was an ascent of seventy-five feet up a series of steps 
— a gentle and not a tiresome ascent, if you looked care- 
fully and did not stumble among the jagged and crumbling 
etones. On either side of the way were devotees at prayers, 
or beggars waiting for their rice, or booths where you could 
buy false pearls, imitation diamonds, beads, packages of 
gold-leaf, flowers and cakes. The trinkets and flowers are 
given as offerings to Buddha. The gold-leaf is sold for 
acts of piety. If the devout Buddhist has a little money, 
he lays it out on the pagoda. He buys a package of the 
gold-leaf and covers with it some dingy spot on the pagoda, 
and adds his mite to the glory of the temple. No one is 
so poor that he cannot make some offering. We observed 
several devout Buddhists at work patching the temple with 
their gold foil. On the top of the temple is an umbrella or 
cap covered with precious stones. This was a royal offer- 
ing, and was placed here some years since with great pomp. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

DOWN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA BURMAH — A LETTER FROM 

THE KING OF SIAM — THEY REACH SIAM — A VISIT TO THE 
EX-REGENT THE STATE DINNER AN INTERESTING OC- 
CASION CANTON DINING WITH THE VICEROY THE 

Menu A PECULIAR FEAST MACAO, SWATOW, AND AMOY 

— CAMOCUS — HONG KONG. 

It was pleasant, writes one of the travellers, to sail down 
the Straits of Malacca and along the coast of Biirmah in a 
comfortable and swift steamer called the Simla, commanded 
by Captain Franks. After leaving Rangoon we ran across 
to the little town of Maulmain. Here General Grant and 
party were received by Colonel Duff, the British Commis- 
sioner. There was a guard of honor at the wharf, and a 
gathering of what appeared to be the whole town. The 
evening after we arrived there was a dinner given by the 
Maulmain Volunteer Rifles — a militia organization com- 
posed of the merchants of Maulmain and young men in 
the service of the Government. This dinner was given in 
the messroom of the company — a little bungalow in th 3 
outskirts of the town. The next morning there was a visit 
to the wood-yards, where teak-wood is sawed and sent as 
an article of commerce into various countries. The teak- 
tree is a feature in the commerce and the industry of the 
peninsula, and is said to be the most durable timber in 
Asia. The Javanese name for teak illustrates its char- 
acter, meaning true, real, genuine. It is only found in 

(411) 



412 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

a few places, being quite unknown in parts of India and 
the adjoining islands. 

The question of General Grant's visit to Siam was for 
some days in abeyance. It was out of our way to China 
and the means of communication were irregular, and none 
of us took any special interest in Siam — our available 
knowledge of the country being that there were once 
famous Siamese twins. Moreover, and this fact I cannot 
as a conscientious historian conceal, there is a feeling of 
homesickness among some of the party, which finds relief 
in looking at the map and drawing the shortest lines of 
travel between Singapore and San Francisco, and any sug- 
gestion of departure from these lines is unwelcome. But 
in Singapore we met many merchants and prominent au- 
thorities who had been in Siam, and the universal testimony 
was that a visit around the world would be incomplete un- 
less it included that most interesting country. Then on 
landing at Singapore our Consul, Major Struder, met the 
General with a letter from the King of Siam — a letter en- 
closed in an envelope made of blue satin. The text of the 
letter was as follows: — 

The Grand Palace, Bangkok, 4th Feb., 1879. 
My Dear Sir : — Having heard from my Minister for For- 
eign Affairs, on the authority of the United States Consul, that 
you are expected in Singapore on your way to Bangkok, I beg 
to express the pleasure I shall have in making your acquaintance. 
Possibly you may arrive in Bangkok during my absence at my 
country residence. Bang Pa In. In which case a steamer will be 
placed at your disposal to bring you to me. On arrival, I beg you 
to communicate with His Excellency, my Minister for Foreign 
Affairs, who will arrange for your reception and entertainment. 
Yours, very truly, ^ CHULAHLONGKOEN, E. S. 
To General Grant, late President of the United States. 

The letter of the King, which he had taken the trouble 
to send all the way to Singapore, added to the opinion ex- 



TOUR AllOUND THE WORLD. 413 

pressed by the General that when people really go around 
the world they might as well see what is to be seen, decided 
the visit to Siam. A despatch had been received from Cap- 
tain Benliam, commanding the Richmond, that he would 
1)8 at Galle on the 12th, which would enable him to reach 
KSingapore about the time that we returned from Siam. 
This was a consideration, especially to the homesick people, 
who felt that there would be compensation in meeting Amer-' 
icans — in being once more among citizens of the greatest 
country of the world, with whom we could talk intelligently 
on sensible themes. So a letter was addressed to Captain 
Benham, asking him to await us by stopping at Singapore, 
and our party prepared for Siam. 

On the morning of the 14th of April, land was around 
us, and there w^as a calm, smooth sea. At ten we came 
to the bar, where we were to expect a steamer or a tug. 
We all doifed our ship garments, and came out in ceremoni- 
ous attires to meet our friends, the Siamese. But there was 
no crossing the bar, and for hours and hours we waited, and 
no steamer came. It seems that we had made so rapid a 
trip that no one was expecting us, and there we were in the 
mud, on a bar, and Siam before us, within an hour's sail 
of Paknam. The day passed and the night came, and at 
ten the tides would be high, and we would slip over the 
mud and be at our anchorage at eleven, and up to Bang- 
kok in the cool of the morning, always so precious an ad- 
vantage in Eastern travel. At nine we began to move 
under the guidance of a pilot, and after moving about for 
an hour or so, to the disappointment of those of us on 
deck, who watched the lights on shore and were impatient 
for Paknam, we heard the engines reverse, we felt the ship 
back with throbbing speed, and in a few minutes the 
grumbling of the cable as the anchor leaped into^ the 
water. There was no Paknam, no Siam, for that night, 



in LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The pilot had lost his way, and instead of a channel, we 
were rapidly going on the shore, when the captain discov- 
ered the error, and stopped the ship. Well, this was a 
disappointment, and largely confirmatory of the views 
shared by some of us that Providence never would smile 
on our trip to Siam ; but the rain came, and the sea be- 
came angry and chopping, and rain and sea came into the 
berths, and all we could do was to cluster in the small cabin. 
AVe found, then, that our foolish pilot had taken us away 
out of our course, that we were on a mud bank, that it was 
a mercy we had not gone ashore, and that unless the royal 
yacht came for us there we would remain another day. 
About nine in the morning the news was passed that the 
royal yacht was coming, and about ten she anchored within 
a cable length, a long, stately craft, with the American colors 
at the fore, and the royal colors of Siam at the main. 

At four o'clock the General embarked on a royal gon- 
dola, seven fathoms long. He was slowly pulled to shore. 
The guard presented arms, the cavalry escort wheeled into 
line, the band played "Hail Columbia." On ascending 
the stairs, Mr. Alabaster, the royal interpreter ; Captain 
Bush, an English officer commanding the Siamese Navy, 
and a brilliant retinue were in waitino-. The Foreign ]Min- 
ister advanced and welcomed the General to Siam, and pre- 
sented him to the other members of the suite. Then enter- 
ing carriages the General and party were driven to the 
Palace of Hwang Saranrom, the home of His Royal High- 
ness the Celestial Prince Bhanurangsi Swangwongse. As 
we drove past the barracks the artillery were drawn up in 
battery and the cannon rolled out a salute of twenty-one 
guns. On reaching the palace a guard was drawn up and 
another band played the American national air. At the 
gate of the palace Phra Sri Dhammason, of the foreign 
office, met the General and escorted him to the door. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 



415 



On the 19th the General attended a state dinner at the 
palace of the King of Siarn. It was an occasion of great 
display and utmost friendliness. The Siamese all wore 
state dresses, and the King wore the family decoration, 
a star of nine points, the centre a diamond, and the other 
points with a rich jewel of different character, embracing 
the precious stones found in Siam. The General was re- 
ceived in the audience-hall, and the dinner was sers^ed in 




the lower hall or dining-room. There were forty guests 
present, and the service of the table was silver, the pre- 
vailing design being the three-headed elephant, which 
belongs to the arms of Siam. This service alone cost 
£10,000 in England. There were two bands in attendance, 
one playing Siamese, the other European music, alternately. 
The Celestial Prince escorted Mrs. Grant to dinner, and 
sat opposite the King at the centre of the table. General 



416 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Grant sat next the King. The dinner was long, elaborate, 
and in the European style, with the exception of some 
dishes of curry dressed in Siamese fashion, which we were 
not brave enough to do more than taste. The night was 
warm, but the room was kej^t moderately cool by a system 
of i^enekahs, or large fans, swinging from the ceiling, which 
kept the air in circulation. 

After we had been at the table about three hours, there 
was a pause and a signal. The fans stopped, the music 
paused, and Mr. Alabaster, as inter2:)reter, took his place 
behind the King. His Majesty then arose, and the com- 
pany with him, and, in a clear accent heard all over the 
saloon, addressed the General. In response General Grant 
proposed the health of the King. 

This toast was drunk with cheers, the comj^any rising 
and the band playing the national air of Siam. The King 
then led the way to the upper audience-chamber, the saloon 
of the statues. Here ensued a long conversation between the 
King and the General and the various members of the 
party. Mrs. Grant, in the inner room, had a conversa- 
tion with the Queen, who had not been at table. In con- 
versing with the General, the King became warm and 
almost affectionate. He was proud of having made the 
acquaintance of the General, and he wanted to know more 
of the American people. He wished Americans to know 
that he was a friend of the country. As to the General 
himself, the King hoped when the General returned to 
the United States that he would write the King and allow 
the King to write to him, and always be his friend and 
correspondent. The General said he would always re^ 
member his visit to Siam; that it would afford him 
pleasure to know that he was the friend of the King; 
that he would write to the King and always be glad to 
hear from him, and if he ever could be of service to the 
King it would be a j^leasure. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 417 

Leaving Siam they proceeded to Canton, at the mouth 
of the Hoang-Ho river. The day next following the arrival 
of the honored party the Viceroy gave a dinner in iionor 
of General Grant. Our correspondent describes it as fol- 
lows : — The hour fixed by the Viceroy for the dinner was 
six, and it was necessary for us to be under way at five. 
Those who went to the dinner were General Grant and 
party, Commodore Perkins, Engineer McEwin, Lieutenant 
Deering, Dr. Fitzsimons, and A. Ludlow Case, of the Ash- 
uelot. Our journey to the Viceroy was in the same state 
as when Ave made our official call. The hour was later, 
and it was more pleasant to ride in the cool evening than 
in the warm, sweltering day. Although the crowd was 
immense, it was not so large as on the day before. There 
were the same ceremonies, the same parade, the same firing 
of guns, and if anything even more splendor when we 
came to the viceregal mansion. The Viceroy, the Tartar 
-General and their splendidly embroidered retinues were all 
in waiting, and we were shown into the audience-chamber 
and given tea. The hall was illuminated and the gardens 
were dazzling with light. After the tea and the exchange 
of compliments between the Chinese and the members of 
our party, a signal was given by the ringing of silver 
chimes, and we marched in procession to the dining-hall. 

It was something of a march, because in these Oriental 
palaces sj)ace is well considered, and if you dine in one 
house you sleep in another and bathe in a third. The 
dining-room was open on the gardens, apparently open on 
three sides. Around the open sides was a wall of servants, 
attendants, soldiers, mandarins, and if you looked beyond 
into the gardens, under the corruscating foliage, burdened 
with variegated lanterns, you saw groups and lines, all star- 
ing in upon us. 

I had always heard of a Chinese dinner as among the 



418 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

eccentric features of their civilization. Our table was a 
series of tables, forming three sides of a square. The sides 
of the tables that formed the interior of the square were 
not occupied. Here the servants moved about. At each 
table were six persons, with the exception of the principal 
table, which was given up to General Grant, the Viceroy, 
the Tartar General, Mr. Borie, and Mr. Holcombe. Be- 
hind the Viceroy stood his interpreter and other personal 
servants. Attendants stood over the other tables with large 
peacock fans, which was a comfort, the night was so warm. 
The dinner was entirely Chinese, with the exception of the 
knives, forks, and glasses. But in addition to the knives 
and forks we had chopsticks, with which some of the party 
made interesting experiments in the way of searching out 
ragout and soup dishes. At each of the tables were one or 
two of our Chinese friends, and we were especially fortu- 
nate at having with us a Chinese officer who spoke English 
well, having learned it at the mission-school of Dr. Hopper. 
The custom in China is not to give you a bill of fa^-e 
over which you can meditate, and if the dinner has any 
resources whatever, compose a minor dinner of your own. 
A servant comes to each table and lays down a slip of r<^d 
tea-box paper inscribed with Chinese characters. This is 
the name of the dish. Each table was covered with dishes, 
which remained there during the dinner — dishes of every- 
thing except bread — sweetmeats and cakes j^redominating. 
The courses are brought in bowls and set down in the 
middle of the table. Your Chinese friend, whose polite- 
ness is unvarying, always helps you before he helps him- 
self. He dives his two chopsticks into the smoking bowl 
and lugs out a savory morsel and drops it on your j)hite. 
Then he helps himself frequently, not troubling the plate, 
but eating directly from the bowl. If the dish is a dainty 
shark's fins or bird's-nest soup, all the Chinese go to work 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 419 

at the same bowl and with the same chopsticks, silver and 
ivory, which were not changed during the entire dinner, 
but did service for fish and fowl and sweetmeats. Between 
each course were cigars or jDipes. The high Cliinamen had 
pipe-bearers with them, and as each course was ended they 
would take a whiff. But the cigars came as a relief to the 
smoking members of the party ; for they could sit and look 
on and enjoy the spectacle, and have the opera sensation 
of looking at something new and strange. The cigars, too, 
were an excuse for not eating, and at a Chinese dinner an 
excuse for not eating is welcome. There is no reason in 
the world why you should not eat a Chinese dinner, ex- 
ce2:)t that you are not accustomed to it. 

The one thing which gave the dinner a touch of poetry 
was the bird's-nest soup. The fact that the Chinese have 
found a soup in the nest of a bird is one of the achieve- 
ments of their civilization. So when our Chinese General 
told us, as he read the cabalistic letters on red tea-chest 
paper, that the next dish was to be bird's-nest soup, we 
awakened to it as to the realization of a new mystery. One 
of the disadvantages of getting on in life is that you have 
fewer and fewer sensations, that you know everything. 

Canton and its sights are described : — One notable 
sight was the Hall of the Five Hundred Disciples of 
Buddha. The street boys, divining our intention, ran 
ahead, and after some knocking, the gate was opened, 
and we entered under a covered way into a penstyle, at- 
tendants and priests personally giving us welcome. We 
passed through granite cloisters, and into the hall where 
there are 504 statues of clay, gilded, to the memory of cer- 
tain disciples of the Lord Buddha, famous in the religious 
history of China. There are images of Buddha, or rather 
of three Buddhas ; also of the Emperor Kienlung, a highly- 
beloved monarch, who sits on the dragon throne. 



420 LIFE OF GENEEAL GRANT. 

The narrow, dirty streets are paved with long, narrow 
slabs of stone ; no sidewalks. Every house that we passed 
on our way was a bazaar, and consisted of one oj^en door, 
that led into a spacious room. In some of these there were 
spiral stairways that led to storerooms or dwelling cham- 
bers. We found some idea of the wealth of Canton, and 
of the wants of the country which it sup^Dlies, when we 
remembered how vast a trade these bazaars represented. 
In looking over a jDlan of the city I had been struck with 
the names of the streets, the poetical and devotional spirit 
they expressed. There was no glorification of mere human 
kings, and you could almost fancy that you were reading 
of some allegorical city, like what Bunyan saw in his 
dream. There was Peace street, and the street of Benev- 
olence and Love. Another, by some violent wrench of 
the imagination, was the street of Kefreshing Breezes. 
Some contented mind had given a name to the street of 
Early Bestowed Blessings. The paternal sentiment, so 
sacred to the Chinamen, found exj^ression in the street of 
One Hundred Grandsons, and the street of One Thousand 
Grandsons. There was the street of a Thousand Beati- 
tudes, which, let us pray, were enjoyed by its founder. 
There were streets consecrated to Everlasting Love, to a 
Thousand-fold Peace, to Ninefold Brightness, to Accumu- 
lated Blessings, while a practical soul, who knew the value 
of advertising, named his avenue the Market of Golden 
Profits. Chinese mythology gave the names of the As- 
cending Dragons, the Saluting Dragon, and the Beposing 
Dragon. Other streets are named after trades and avoca- 
tions, and it is noticeable that in Canton, as in modern 
towns, the workers in various callings cluster together. 
There is Betel-nut street, where you can buy the betel-nut, 
of which we saw so much in Siam, and tlie cocoanut, and 
drink tea. There is where the Chinese hats are sold, and 




SENDING WRITTEN PRAYERS TO HEAVEN BY BURNING THEM. 



421 



422 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

wliere you can buy the finery of a mandarin for a dollar 
or two. There is Eyeglass street, where the compass is 
sold, and if you choose to buy a compass, there is no harm 
in remembering that we owe the invention of that subtle 
instrument to China. Another street is given to the manu- 
facture of bows and arrows, another to Prussian blue, a 
third to the j^reparation of furs. The stores have signs in 
Chinese characters, gold letters on a red or black ground, 
which are hung in front, a foot or two from the wall, and 
droop before you as you pass under them, producing a j^e- 
culiar eftect, as of an excess of ornamentation, like Paris 
on a fete day. The habit to which you are accustomed in 
Paris of giving the store a fanciful or poetic name prevails 
in Canton. One merchant calls his house " Honest Gains." 
Another, more ambitious, names his house " Great Gains." 
One satisfied soul proclaims his store to be a " Never End- 
ing Success," while his neighbor's is " Ten Thousand Times 
Successful." There is the store called " Ever Enduring," 
and others adopt a spirit not common in trade by speaking 
of their shops as " Heavenly Happiness " and " By Heaven 
Made Prosperous." Others more j^ractical signify by some 
image the nature of their trade, and over their stores you 
see representations of a shoe, a fan, a hat, a boot, a collar, 
and a pair of spectacles. 

Canton, next to Pekin, the most celebrated of Chinese 
cities, the one at least best known to foreigners, goes back 
to the fourth century before Christ, and is among the most 
ancient cities of the world. It was supposed to have been 
a muddy stockade surrounded with bamboo defences. 

Our visit to Hong Kong at this time was to be present 
at a garden-party which had been arranged by the citizens ; 
but the weather interfered, and the General was compelled 
to leave on Monday, to keep engagements which had been 
made for him in the north. While in Hong Kong, we 



TOUR AROUND THE WOULD. 423 

witnessed a strange ceremony. It was strange; to u^, al- 
though so common here. It was the sending of written 
prayers to heaven by burning them. He spent Sunday 
quietly with the Governor, and on Monday morning took 
leave of his brilliant and hospitable host. Before leaving, 
the General, accompanied by the Governor and our Con- 
sul, Colonel John S. Moseby, received a deputation of Chi- 
nese who wished to present him with an address. The 
presentation took place in the parlors of the Government 
House. General Grant made a very pleasing response to 
the address, in which he thanked them for their kindness, 
and expressed the wish that harmony might continue be- 
tween their country and his own. 

After giving the address, the General and party, ac- 
companied by Governor Hennessy and wife and Colonel 
Moseby, took chairs and proceeded to the landing to embark 
for the north. There was a guard of honor at the wharf, 
and all the foreign residents Avere present. As the General 
went on board the launch, hearty cheers were given, which 
were again and again repeated as he steamed into the bay. 
The Governor took his leave of General Grant on board 
the Ashuelot, and as he left the vessel fired a salute of 
seventeen guns in his honor, with the British flag at the 
fore. 

27 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

SHANGHAI A GLAD WELCOME A QUIET SABBATH AN IM- 
POSING SCENE — LI HUNG CHANG THE VICEROY VISITS 

GRANT — THE FETE AT THE FRENCH CONSUL' S — PEKIN A 

TOUNG EMPEROR. 

After leaving Hong Kong General Grant's trip along 
the coast of China was exceptionally pleasant, so far as 
winds and waves were concerned. There was a monsoon 
blowing, but it was just enough to help us along without 
disturbing the sea. On the morning of the 13th we came 
to Swatow, one of the treaty ports open to foreigners. 
The stay here was short, but the Chinese Governor called 
in state and extended all possible hospitality. This is 
one of the ports now open to foreigners- It is })leasantly 
situated on the river Flan, and the view on approaching 
it is beautiful and striking. At Amoy a brief stop was 
made, and then they steamed on to Shanghai. 

On the morning of the 17th the "Ashnelot," commanded 
by Commander Johnson, who relieved Commander Per- 
kins in Hong Kong, came in sight of the Woosung forts, 
which fired twenty-one guns. We had had a pleasant run 
from Amoy, a stiff breeze helping us along. As soon as 
the firing of the Chinese forts ceased, the batteries of the 
"Iron Duke," the flagship of the Admiral commanding 
the British fleet in China, ran up the American flag to 
the fore and fired twenty-one guns. The Chinese gunboats 

(4l'4J 



TOUR AIIOUND THE WOULD. 42o 

joined in the chorus, and the Ashiielot returned the salutes. 
There was so much cannonading and so much smoke, that 
it seemed as if a naval battle were raging. As the smoke 
lifted, the American man-of-war Monocaey was seen steam- 
ing towards us, dressed from stem to stern. As she a]i- 
proached a salute was fired. We were a little ahead of 
the time appointed for our reception in Shanghai, and 
■when the Monocaey came within a cable length both 
Tessels came to an anchor. A boat came from the Monoc- 
aey, carrying the committee of citizens who were to meet 
the General — Messrs. R. W. Little, F. B. Forbes, Helland, 
Purden, and Hiibbe. The committee was accompanied by 
Mr. D. W. Bailey, the American Consul-General for 
China, wdio joresented the members to General Grant, and 
by Mrs. Little and Mrs. Holcombe, who came to meet INIr.s. 
Crrant. The committee lunched with the General, and 
'•about half-past one the Ashuelot slowly steamed up to tl'je 
■city. As we came in sight of the shipping the sight was 
very beautiful. The different men-of-war all fired salut^?s 
•and manned yards, the merchantmen at anchor weve 
dressed, and as the Ashuelot passed the crews cheered. 
The General stood on the quarter-deck and bowed his 
thanks. As we came to the spot selected for landing, the 
banks of the river were thronged with Chinamen. It is 
•estimated that at least one hundred thousand lined the 
banks, but figures are, after all, guesses, and fail to give 
you an idea of the vast, fiir-extending, patient, and silent 
multitude. It was Saturday afternoon, the holiday, and 
<ionsequently every one could come, and every one did in 
-holiday attire. One of the committee said to me, as we 
«tood on the deck of the Ashuelot looking out upon the 
wonderful panorama of life and movement, that he sup- 
posed that every man, woman, and child in Shanghai who 
could come was on the river-bank. The landing was in 



426 LIFE OF GENERAL GEANT. 

the French concession. A large "go down," or storehouse^ 
had been decorated with flags, flowers, and greenery. This 
building was large enough to hold all the foreign residents 
in Shanghai, and long before the hour of landing every 
seat was occu23ied. 

At three o'clock precisely the barge of the Ashuelot 
was manned, the American flag was hoisted at the bow, 
and General Grant, accompanied by Mrs. Grant, Mr. Borie,. 
Colonel Grant, Mr. Holcombe, acting Minister at Pekin ; 
Mrs. Holcombe, Consul-General Bailey, and Dr. Keating, 
embarked. As the boat slowly pulled towards the shore, 
the guns of the Ashuelot thundered out a national salute, 
while the other men-of-war manned the yards. In a few 
minutes the boat came to the landing, Avhicli was covered 
with scarlet cloth. Mr. Little, chairman of the Municipal 
Council, and the committee shook hands with the General, 
and the procession marched into the building. As General 
Grant entered, the audience rose and cheered heartily. On 
reaching the seats prepared for him, he was presented to 
the Chinese Governor, who had come to do his part in the 
reception. The Governor was accompanied by a delega- 
tion of mandarins of high rank. The band played " Hail 
Columbia ! " and after the music and cheering ceased, Mr. 
Little advanced and read the address of the committee. 

After a moment's pause, General Grant, speaking in a 
low, conversational tone of voice, thanked them for their 
kind welcome. 

The speech over there were other presentations, and 
General Grant was escorted to his carriage. There was a 
guard of honor composed of sailors and marines from the 
American and French men-of-war and the Volunteer Rifles 
of Shano'hai. It was the intention of the British naval 
commander to have sent a hundred men on shore to take 
part in the reception, but there was some misunderstanding 



428 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

as to the time, and the British tars did not land until it 
was too late. The Captain was mortified at the blunder, 
and sent a message to the General to explain his absence 
and his regret that he had not been able to do his part 
in honoring the General. The General rode in a carriage 
with Mrs. Grant, Mr, Bailey, and Mr. Holcombe. The 
volunteers formed on either side, and walked as a guard 
of honor. There was an infantry battalion and a battery 
of artillery. Horses are not j^lentiful in Shanghai, and 
the General's carriage was drawn by a pair of Australian 
horses. The animals, however, did not have military ex- 
perience, and grew so impatient with the guns, the music,, 
and the cheering, that they became unmanageable, and the 
procession came to a halt. Lieutenant Cowles, of the Mo- 
nocacy, who was in command of the escort, suggested a 
remedy. The horses were taken out, and the volunteer 
guard, taking hold of the carriage, drew it along the em- 
bankment to the consulate, a distance of more than a mile. 
On arriving at the consulate, the General reviewed the es- 
cort. The evening was spent quietly, the General dining 
with Mr. Bailey and a few of the leading citizens of the 
settlement. 

Sunday was passed quietly. General Grant attending 
service in the Cathedral. On JMonday morning he visited 
a dairy farm, and afterwards made a few calls. In the 
evening he dined with K. W. Little, and after dinner went 
to the house of Mr. Cameron, the manager of the Hong 
Kong and Shanghai Bank, to visit the torchlight j^roces- 
sion and the illumination. The whole town had been ago^ 
all day preparing for the illumination, and as we strolled 
along the parade, every house was in the hands of work- 
men and Chinese artists. The tea-gardens were especially 
attractive. There was a threat of bad weather, but as the 
sun went down the ominous winds went with it, and the. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. I1.I) 

evening was perfect for all the purposes of tlio (lis[)ljiy. 
The two occasions when Shanghai had cxertetl herself to 
welcome and honor a guest, were on the visits of the Duke 
of Edinburgh and the Grand Duke Alexis. The dispUiy 
in honor of General Grant far surpassed these, and what 
made it so agreeable was the heartiness with which Eng- 
lish, Americans, French, Germans, and Chinese all united. 
I had heard a good deal during the day of what Shanghai 
would do. But with the memory of many fetes in many 
lands, fresh from the stupendous demonstration in Canton, 
I felt sceptical as to what a little European colony clinging 
to the fringe of the Chinese Empire could really do in th*e 
way of a display. The dinner at Mr. Little's was over ;it 
half-past nine, and in company with Mr. Little and the 
General I drove along the whole river front. The scene 
as we drove out into the open street was bewildering in ils 
beauty. Wherever you looked was a blaze of light and 
fire, of rockets careering in the air, of Koman lights, anil 
every variety of fire. The ships in the harbor were a bla:^e 
of color, and looked as if they were pieces of fireworks. 
The lines of the masts, the rigging, and the hulls wei e 
traced in flames. The Monocacy was very beautiful, every 
line from the bow^ to the topmast and anchor-chain hung 
with Japanese lanterns. This graceful, blending nui-ss of 
color thrown upon the black evening sky was majestic, and 
gave you an idea of a beauty in fire hitherto unknown to 
us. "Never before," says the morning journal — for I 
prefer to take other authority than my own in reeording 
this dazzling scene — "never before has there been such a 
blaze of gas and candles seen in Shanghai." 

Every day of the stay in Shanghai was a day of sight- 
seeing and honors. Decorations, demonstrations and 
dinners abounded. The Viceroy of Cliina paid him an 
official visit when about to leave. 



430 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

After an elaborate entertainment by the Viceroy, and 
a grand fete at the French Consul's, at both of which 
superb assemblages were gathered, the party proceeded on 
their journey, and in due time reached Pekin. Here Gen- 
eral Grant was waited upon by members of the Cabinet, who 
came in a body, accompanied by the military and civil gov- 
ernors of the city. These are the highest officials in China. 

General Grant did not ask an audience of the Em- 
peror. The Emperor is a child seven years of age, at his 
books, not in good health, and under the care of two old 
ladies called the empresses. When the Chinese Minister 
in Paris spoke to the General about audience, and his re- 
gret that the sovereign of China was not of age, that he 
might personally entertain the ex-President, the General 
said he hoi:)ed no question of audience would be raised. 
He had no personal curiosity to see the Emperor. 

As soon as General Grant arrived at Pekin he w^as met 
by the Secretary of State, who brought the card of Prince 
Kung, and said His Imperial Highness would be glad to 
see General Grant at any time. The General named the 
succeeding day, at three. The General and party left the 
legation at half-past two, the party embracing Mr. Hol- 
combe, the acting Minister ; Colonel Grant, Lieutenant 
Charles Belknap, C. W. Deering, and A. Ludlow Case, 
Jr., of the Ashuelot. The w^ay to the Yamen w\as over 
dirty roads and through a disagreeable part of the town, 
the day being unusually warm, the thermometer marking 
101 degrees in the shade. This is a trying temperature 
under the best circumstances, but in Pekin there w^as every 
possible condition of discomfort in addition. When we 
came to the court-yard of the Yamen, the secretaries and 
a group of mandarins received the General and his party, 
and escorted them into the inner court. Prince Kung, 
who was standing at the door, with a group of high officers, 







431 



432 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

advanced and saluted the General, and said a few words 
of welcome, which were translated by Mr. Holcombe. 

On the evening of our arrival, the American residents 
in Pekin called in a body on the General, to welcome him 
and read an address. Dinner over, our jDarty entered the 
legation parlors, and were presented to the small colony 
of the favored people who have i^itched their tents in 
Pekin. The members of this colony are missionaries,, 
members of the customs staff, diplomatists, and one or two 
who have claims or schemes for the consideration of the 
Chinese Government. After being introduced to the Gen- 
eral and his party, Dr. Martin, the President of the Chi- 
nese English University, stepped forward and read an ad- 
dress welcoming General Grant to the city. 

In reply, the General said he was always glad to meet 
his fellow-countrymen, and the kind words in which he 
had been welcomed added to the pleasure which such a 
meeting afforded in Pekin. The Americans were a won- 
derful people, he said, smiling, for you found them every- 
where, even here in this distant and inaccessible capital. 
He was esj^ecially pleased with the allusion, in the address, 
to the fact that in America a career was possible to the 
humblest station in life. His own career was one of the 
best examples of the possibilities oj^en to any man and 
every man at home. That feature in America he was 
proud to recognize, for it was one of the golden principles 
in our government. The General again thanked the dele- 
gation for their kindness, wished them all prosperity in 
their labors in China, and a happy return to their homes,, 
where he hoped some day to meet them. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

DEPARTURE FROM CHINA CHEFOO — JAPAN — NAGASAKI — 

PRINCE DATI A GRAND DINNER THE MUSICIANS 

YOKOHAMA THE PALACE — REVIEWING THE TROOPS 

TAKING LEAVE OF THE EMPEROR FAREWELL SPEECHES 

HOMEWARD BOUND, 

The departure from China was made after a visit to the 
point where the historic "Great Wall" reaches the sea. 
Chefoo also received a brief call. It is the summer resort 
of English residents of Shanghai and Tientsin. Here the 
General received a rousing welcome as usual. 

At midnight General Grant and party, accompanied 
by Captain Benham, returned on board the Richmond. 
There was one incident on the return of a novel and pic- 
turesque character. According to the regulations of the 
American navy, no salutes can be fired by men-of-war after 
the sun goes down. But the Richmond was to sail as soon 
as the General embarked, and before the sun arose would 
be out at sea. So the Chinese gun-boats sent w^ord that 
they would fire twenty-one guns as General Grant passed 
in his barge. The announcement caused some consterna- 
tion in the well-ordered minds of our naval friends, and 
there was a grave discussion as to what regulations per- 
mitted under the circumstances. It would be rude to 
China not to return her salute. There were especial rea- 
sons for going out of the way to recognize any honor shown 
us by the Chinese. Our mission in those lands, so fiir as 

(433) 



434 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

it was a mission, was one of peace and courtesy and good- 
will. Captain Benliam, with the ready ability and com- 
mon sense which, as a naval officer, he possesses in an 
eminent degree, decided that the courtesy should be hon- 
ored and answered, gun for gun, and that, in so doing, he 
would carry out, in spirit at least, the regulations which 
sliould govern a naval commander. So it came to pass that 
Lieutenant-Commander Clarke found himself performing a 
duty which I supjwse never before devolved uj^on a naval 
officer, holding a midnight watch, with the gun-crew at 
quarters ready for the signal which was to justify him in 
startling the repose of nature on sea and shore with the 
hoarse and lurid menace of his guns. General Grant's 
launch had hardly moved before the Chinese gun-boats 
thundered forth, gun after gun, their terrifying compli- 
ment. These boats have no saluting batteries, and as the 
guns fired were of heavy calibre, the effect of the fire was 
startling and sublime. The General's launch slowly 
steamed on, the smoke of the guns rolling along the sur- 
face of the waves and clouding the stars. When the last 
gun was fired there was a pause, and far off in the dark- 
ness our vessel, like a phantom ship, silent and brooding, 
suddenly took life, and a bolt of fire came from her bows, 
followed swiftly by the sullen roar of the guns. 

So it came to pass that at midnight, in fire and flame — 
the angry echoes leaj)ing from shore to shore and from hill 
to liill, and over the tranquil waters of a whisj)ering sea — 
we said farewell to China and sailed towards Japan. 

There was no special incident in our run from China. 
On the morning of the 21st of June, we found ourselves 
threading our way through beautiful islands and rocks rich 
with green, that stood like sentinels in the sea, and hills on 
which were trees and gardens, and high, commanding cliffs 
covered with green, and smooth, tranquil waters, into the 



TOUR AllOUND THE WOULD. 436 

Bay of Nagasaki. Nagasaki ranks among the beautiful 
harbors in the workl. But the beauty that welcomed us 
had the endearing quality that it reminded us of home. 
All these weeks we had been in the land of the palm, and 
we were now again in the land of the pine. 

The Bichmond steamed between the hills and came to 
an anchorage. It was the early morning, and over the 
water were shadows of cool, inviting green. Nagasaki, 
nestling on her hillsides, looked cosy and beautiful, and, it 
being our first glimpse of a JajDanese town, we studied it 
through our glasses, studied every feature — the scenery, 
the picturesque attributes of the city, the terraced hills that 
rose beyond, every rood under cultivation ; the quaint, 
curious houses ; the multitudes of flags which showed that 
the town knew of our coming and was preparing to do us 
honor. We noted also that the wharves were lined with a 
multitude, and that the available population were waiting 
to see the guest whom their nation honors, and who is known 
in common speech as the American Mikado. Then the 
Bichmond ran up the Japanese standard and fired twenty- 
one guns in honor of Japan. The forts answered the 
salute. Then the Japanese gun-boats and the forts dis- 
played the American ensign and fired a salute of twenty- 
one guns in honor of General Grant. Mr. W. P. Man- 
gum, our Consul, and his wife came on board. In a short 
time the Japanese barge was seen coming, with Prince 
Dati and Mr. Yoshida and the Governor, all in the splen- 
dor of court uniforms. These ofiicials were received with 
due honors and escorted to the cabin. Prince Dati said 
that he had been commanded by the Emperor to meet 
General Grant on his landing, to welcome him in the name 
of His Majesty, and to attend upon him as the Emperor's 
personal representative so long as the General remained in 
Japan. The value of this compliment can be understood 



436 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

when you know that Prince Dati is one of the highest 
noblemen in Japan. He was one of the leading daimios, 
one of the old feudal barons who, before the revolution, 
ruled Japan and had j^owers of life and death in his own 
dominions. The old daimios were not only barons, l)ut 
heads of clans, like the clans of Scotland, and in the feudal 
days he could march an army into the field. When the 
revolution came Dati accepted it, not sullenly and seeking 
retirement, like Satsuma and other princes, but as the best 
thing for the country. He gave his adhesion to the Em- 
peror, and is now one of the great noblemen around the 
throne. The sending of a man of the rank of the Prince 
was the highest compliment that the Emperor could j^a}- 
any guest. Mr. Yoshida you know as the present Jajianese 
Minister to the United States, a discreet and accomplishe(i 
man, and among the rising statesmen in the Empire. Hav • 
ing been accredited to America during the General's ad' 
ministration, and knowing the General, the Government 
called him home so that he might attend General Grant 
and look after the recei^tion. So when General Grant ar- 
rived, he had the j^leasure of meeting not only a distin- 
guished representative of the Emperor, but an old personal 
friend. 

At one o'clock on the 21st of June, General Grant, ac- 
companied by Prince Dati, INIr. Yoshida, and the Gov- 
ernor, landed in Nagasaki. The Japanese man-of-war 
Kango, commanded by Caj)tain Zto, had been sent down 
to Nagasaki to welcome the General. The landing took 
place in the Japanese barge. From the time that General 
Grant came into the waters of Japan, it was the intention 
of the Government that he should be the nation's guest. 
As soon as the General stepped into the barge, the Japanese 
vessels and the batteries on shore thundered out their wel- 
come, the yards of the vessels were maniied ; and as the 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 437 

barge moved slowly along, the crews of the ships in the 
harbor cheered. It was over a mile from the Richmond to 
the shore. The landing-place had been arranged not in 
the foreign section nor the Dntch concession, carrying out 
the intention of having the rece23tion entirely Japanese. 
Lines of troops were formed, the steps were covered with 
red cloth, and every space and standing spot and coigne 
of vantage was covered with people. The General's boat 
touched the shore, and with Mrs. Grant on his arm, and 
followed by the Colonel, the Japanese officials, and the 
members of his party, he slowly walked up the platform, 
bowing to the multitude who made this obeisance in his 
honor. There is something strange in the grave decorum 
of an Oriental crowd ; strange to us who remember the 
ringing cheer and the electric hurrah of Saxon lands. The 
principal citizens of Nagasaki came forward and were 2:>re- 
«ented, and, after a few minutes' pause, our j^arty stepped 
into jinrickshaws and were taken to our quarters. 

The jinrickshaw is the common vehicle of Jaj^an. It 
is built on the principle of a child's perambulator or an in- 
valid's chair, except that it is much lighter. Two men go 
ahead and pull, and one behind pushes ; but this only on 
occasions of ceremony. One man is quite able to manage 
a jinrickshaw. • Those used by the General had been sent 
down from Tokio, from the palace. Our quarters in Na- 
gasaki had been prepared in the Japanese town. A build- 
ing used for a female normal school had been prepared. It 
was a half mile from the landing, and the whole road had 
been decorated with flags, American and Japanese entwined, 
with arches of green boughs and flowers. Both sides of 
the road were lined with people, who bowed low to the 
General as he passed. On reaching our residence, tlie 
Japanese officials of the town were all presented. Then 
-came the foreign Consuls in a body, who were presented by 



438 LIFE OF GE:NFliAL GKANT. 

the American Consul, Mr. Mangiim, After this came the 
officers of the Japanese vessels, all in uniform. Then came 
a delegation representing the foreign residents of all nation- 
alties in Nagasaki, who asked to j^resent an address. This 
address was read by Mr. Farber, one of the oldest foreign 
residents in Japan. The General responded in his usual 
quiet and agreeable manner. 

On the evening of June 22d, Mr. Bingham, the Amer- 
ican Minister to Japan, came to Nagasaki in the mail- 
steamer, and was met on landing by General Grant. The 
Minister was fresh from home. And it w^as pleasant, not 
only to meet an old friend, but one who could tell us of 
the tides and currents in home affairs. There were dinners 
and fetes innumerable during our stay in Nagasaki. 

On the 24th, a grand dinner was given the visitors. 
The bill of fare was almost a volume, and embraced over 
fifty courses. The wine was served in unglazed 2:)orcelain 
wine-cups, on white wooden stands. The appetite wi\s 
pampered in the beginning with dried fish, edible seaweeds, 
and isinglass, in something of the Scandinavian style, e:?v- 
cept that the attempt did not take the form of brandy and 
raw fish. The first serious dish was composed of crane, 
seaweed, moss, rice, bread, and potatoes, which we picked 
over in a curious way as thougli we were at an auction sale 
of remnants, anxious to rummage out a bargain. The 
soup, when it first came, — for it came many times, — was 
an honest soup of fish, like a delicate fish-chowder. Then 
came strange dishes, as ragout and as soup in bew^ildering 
confusion. The first was called namasu and embodied fish, 
clams, chestnuts, rock-mushrooms, and ginger. Then, in 
various combinations, the following : — Duck, truffles, tur- 
nips, dried bonito, melons, pressed salt, aromatic shrubs, 
snipe, egg-plant, jelly, boiled rice, snapper, shrimp, pota- 
toes, mushroom, cabbage, lassfish, orange flowers, powdered 



440 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

fish, flavored with plum-juice and walnuts, raw carp sliced, 
mashed fish, baked fish, isinglass, fish boiled with pickled 
beans, wine, and rice again. This all came in the first 
course, and as a finale to the course, there was a sweetmeat 
composed of white and red bean jelly-cake, and boiled black 
mushroom. With this came jDowdered tea, which had a 
green, monitory look, and suggested your early exjjeriences 
in medicine. 

While our hosts are passing around the strange dishes, 
a signal is made, and the musicians enter. They are maid- 
ens, with fair, pale faces and small, dark, serious eyes. You 
are pleased to see that their teeth have not been blackened, 
as was the custom in past days, and is even now almost a 
prevalent custom among the lower classes. We are told 
that the maidens who have come to grace our feast are not 
of the common singing-class, but the daughters of the mer- 
chants and leading citizens of Nagasaki. The first group 
is composed of three. They enter, sit down on the floor 
and bow their heads in salutation. One of the instruments 
is shaped like a guitar, another is something between a 
banjo and a drum. They wear the costume of the country, 
the costume that was known before the new days came upon 
Japan. They have blue silk gowns, white collars, and 
heavily brocaded pearl-colored sashes. The principal in- 
strument was long and narrow, shaped like a coffin-lid, and 
sounding like a harpsichord. After they had played an 
overture, another group entered, fourteen maidens similarly 
dressed, each carrying the small banjo-like instrument, and 
ranging themselves on a bench against the wall, the tapestry 
and silks suspended over them. Then the genius of the 
artist was apparent, and the rich depending tapestry, blended 
with the blue and white and pearl, and animated with the 
faces of the maidens, their music, and their songs, made a 
picture of Japanese life which an artist might envy. 



TOUR APtOUND THE WORLD. 441 

The strange dinner came to an end after a struggle 
of six or seven hours, and as we drove home through tli(i 
ilhiminated town, brilliant with lanterns and fireworks, and 
arches and bonfires, it was felt that we had been honored 
by an entertainment such as we may never again exj)ect 
to see. 

A visit was also made to Yokohama. Here too the 
distinguished visitor was received with glad ovations. 
Civic and military authorities sought to do him honor, and 
there was really no end to the round of festivities and 
fetes that were showered upon the illustrious General. 
Concerning the visit to the Emperor at Tokio, Mr. Young 
writes : 

We drove through the daimios' quarter and tbrough 
the gates of the city. The first impression of Tokio is 
that it is a city of walls and canals. The walls are crude 
and solid, protected by moats. We j^assed under the walls 
of an enclosure which was called the castle. Here we are 
told the Emperor will build his new palace. We crossed 
another bridge — I think there were a dozen altogether in 
the course of the drive — and came to a modest arched gate- 
way which did not look very imposing. Soldiers were drawn 
up and the band played Hail Columbia. Our carriages 
drove on past one or two modest buildings and drew up in 
front of another modest building, on the steps of which 
the Minister Iwakura was standing. The General and 
party descended and were cordially welcomed and escorted 
up a narrow stairway into an anteroom. 

When you have seen most of the available palaces in 
the world, from the glorious home of Anrungzebe to the 
depressing mighty cloister of the Escurial, you are sure to 
have preconceived notions of what a palace should be, and 
to expect something unique and grand in the home of the 
long hidden and sacred ]\Iajesty of Japan. The home of 



442 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the Emperor was as simple as that of a country gentleman 
at home. What marked the house was its simplicity and 
taste ; qualities for which my j^alace education had not pre- 
pared me. Here we are in a suite of plain rooms, the ceil- 
ings of wood, the walls decorated with natural scenery — 
the furniture sufficient but not crowded — and exquisite in 
style and finish. There is no pretence of architectural 
emotion. The rooms are large, airy, with a sense of sum- 
mer about them which grows stronger as you look out of 
the window and down the avenues of trees. We are told 
that the grounds are spacious and fine, even for Japan, and 
that His Majesty, who rarely goes outside of his palace 
grounds, takes what recreation he needs within the walls. 

The palace is a low building, one or at most two stories 
in height. They do not build high walls in Japan, and 
especially in Tokio, where earthquakes are ordinary inci- 
dents, and the first question to consider in building up is 
how far you can fall. We enter a room where all the 
Ministers are assembled. The Japanese Cabinet is a fa- 
mous body, and tested by laws of physiognomy would com- 
pare with that of any Cabinet I have seen. The Prime 
Minister is a striking character. He is small, slender, 
with an almost girl-like figure, delicate, clean-cut, winning 
features, a face that might be that of a boy of twenty or a 
man of fifty. The other Ministers looked like strong, able 
men. Iwakura has a striking face, with lines showing 
firmness and decision, and you saw the scar which marked 
the attempt of the assassin to cut him down and slay him, 
as Okubo, the greatest of Japanese statesmen, was slain not 
many months ago. That assassination made as deep an im- 
pression in Japan as the killing of Lincoln did in Amer- 
ica. We saw the spot where the murder was done on our 
way to the palace, and my Japanese friend who pointed it 
out spoke in low tones of sorrow and affection, tind said 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 448 

the crime there committed had been an irreparable loss to 
Japan. 

A lord in waiting, heavily braided, with a nniform that 
Louis XIV. would not have disliked in Versailles, comes 
softly in and makes a signal, leading the way. The Gen- 
eral and Mrs. Grant escorted by Mr. Bingham, and our 
retinue followed. The General and the Minister were in 
evening dress. The naval officers were in full uniform, 
Colonel Grant wearing the uniform of lieutenant-colonel. 
We walked along a short passage and entered another room, 
at the flirther end of which were standing the Emperor 
and the Empress. Two hidies in waiting were near them 
in a sitting, what appeared to be a crouching, attitude. 
Two other princesses were standing. These were the only 
occupants of the room. Our party slowly advanced, the 
Japanese making a profound obeisance, bending the head 
almost to a right angle with the body. The royal princes 
formed in line near the Emperor, along with the princesses. 
The Emperor stood quite motionless, apparently unobserv- 
ant or unconscious of the homage that was paid him. He 
is a young man with a slender figure, taller than the aver- 
age Japanese, and of about the middle height, according to 
our ideas. The Empress, at his side, wore the Japanese 
costume, rich and plain. Her face was very white and her 
form slender and almost childlike. Her hair was combed 
plainly and braided with a gold arrow. The Emperor and 
Empress have agreeable faces, the Emperor es])ecially 
showing firmness and kindness. The solemn etiquette that 
pervaded the audience-chamber was peculiar, and might 
appear strange to those familiar with the stately but cordial 
manners of a European Court. But one must remember 
that the Emperor holds so high and so sacred a place in the 
traditions, the religion, and the political system of Japan, 
that even the ceremony of to-day is so far in advance of 



444 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

anything of the kind ever known in Japan, that it might 
be called a revolution. The Emperor, for instance, as our 
group was formed, advanced and shook hands with the 
General. 

After he had shaken hands with the General, he re- 
turned to his place, and stood with his hand resting on 
his sword, looking on at the brilliant, embroidered, gilded 
company as though unconscious of their presence. Mr. 
Bingham advanced and bowed, and received just the faint- 
est nod in recognition. The other members of the party 
were each presented by the Minister, and each one stand- 
ing about a dozen feet from the Emperor, stood and bowed . 
Then the General and Mrs. Grant were presented to the 
princesses, eacli party bowing to the other in silence. The 
Emperor then made a signal to one of the noblemen, who 
advanced. The Emperor spoke to him for a few moments, 
in a low tone, the nobleman standing with bowed head. 

The morning of the 7th of July was set apart by the 
Emperor for a review of the troops. The Emperor of 
Japan is fond of his army, and was more anxious to show 
it to General Grant than any other institution in the Em- 
pire. Great preparations had been made to have it in 
readiness, and all Tokio was out to see the j^ageant. The 
review of the army by the Emperor in itself is an event 
that causes a sensation. But the review of the army by 
the Emperor and the General was an event which had no 
precedent in Japanese history. The hour for the review 
was nine, and at half-past eight the clatter of horsemen 
and the sound of bugles were heard in the palace grounds. 
In a few moments the Emperor's state carriage drove up, 
the drivers in scarlet livery and the panels decorated with 
the imperial flower, the chrysanthemum. General Grant 
entered, accompanied by Prince Dati, and the cavalry 
formed a hollow square, and our procession moved on to 







"-' ^ t ' . *..' '^Ht^ ^ '^ / A-,V5^* 



445 



446 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the field at a slow pace. A drive of twenty minutes 
brought us to the parade-ground, a large open plain, the 
soldiers in line, and behind the soldiers a dense mass of 
people — men, women, and children. As the General's 
procession slowly turned into the parade-ground a group 
of Japanese officers rode up and saluted, the band j)layed 
"Hail Columbia," and the soldiers presented arms. Two 
tents had been arranged for the reception of the guests. 
In the larger of the two we found assembled officers of 
state, representatives of foreign Powers, Governor Hen- 
nessy, of Hong Kong, all in bright, glowing uniforms. 
The smaller tent was for the Emperor. When the Gen- 
eral dismounted he was met by the Minister of War and 
escorted into the smaller tent. In a few minutes the trum- 
pets gave token that the Emperor was coming, and the 
band played the Japanese national air. His Majesty was 
in a state carriage, surrounded with horsemen and accom- 
panied by one of his Cabinet. As the Emperor drove uj) 
to the tent, General Grant advanced to the carriage-steps 
and shook hands with him, and they entered and remained 
a few minutes in conversation. 

At the close of the review General Grant and party 
drove off" the ground in state, and were taken to the Shila 
palace. This palace is near the sea, and as the grounds 
are beautiful and attractive, it was thought best that the 
breakfast to be given to General Grant by His Majesty 
should take place here. The Emperor received the Gen- 
eral and party in a large, plainly furnished room, and led 
the way to another room where the table was set. The 
decorations of the table were sumptuous and royal. Gen- 
eral Grant sat on one side of the Emperor, whose place was 
in the centre. Opposite was Mrs. Grant, who sat next to 
Prince Arinagawa, the nearest relative to the Emperor, and 
the commander-in-chief of the army. 



I 



TOUR AROUND THE AVORLD. 447 

The Emperor conversed a great deal with General 
Grant through Mr. Yoshida, and also Governor Ilennessy. 
His Majesty expressed a desire to have a private and 
friendly conference with the General, which it was ar- 
ranged should take place after the General's return from 
Nikko. The feast lasted for a couple of hours, and the 
view from the table was charming. 

At the time appointed the General and the Emperor 
met for their personal interview. General Grant said he 
was entirely at the service of the Emperor, and was glad, 
indeed, to see him and thank His Majesty for all the 
kindness he had received in Japan. He might say that 
no one outside of Japan had a higher interest in the 
country, or a more sincere friendship for its people. An 
interesting conversation followed, during which General 
Grant used his good offices with the Japanese Govern- 
ment on the question of Loochoo. 

The sojourn of the travellers in the East had already 
extended beyond the time which they had originally set 
for their return, and they began to cast their eyes ocean- 
ward and sigh for their native land. It was, therefore, 
decided that they should return ; but even when that 
conclusion had been reached, several days were required 
for preparation. Of these last days and hours in Tokio, 
Mr. Young writes : Our last days in Japan were crowded 
with incidents of a personal and public character. I use 
the word personal to describe events that did not find their 
way into the newspapers nor belong to public receptions. 
There w^ere constant visits to the General from members 
of the Cabinet ; from Mr. Iwakura, especially, who came 
to talk about public affairs. There were conferences on 
the Loochoo question, when General Grant used his best 
ef!brts to bring China and Japan to a good understanding. 
The effect of these conversations history alone can tell. 



448 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

After a further round of regal entertainments the day 
at length arrived for General Grant to take his formal 
farewell of the Emperor. An audience of leave-taking 
under any circumstances is apt to be a solemn ceremony, 
and the Court of Japan pays due respect to splendor and 
state. A farewell to the Mikado meant more in the eyes 
of General Grant than if it had been the ordinary leave- 
taking of a monarch who had shown him hospitality. He 
had received attentions from the sovereign and people such 
as had never been given. He had been honored not alone 
in his own person, but as the representative of his country. 
His visit had this political significance, that the Japanese 
government intended by the honors they paid him to show 
the value they gave to American friendship and their grat- 
itude. In many ways the visit of the General had taken 
a wide range, and what he would say to the Emperor would 
have great importance, because every word he uttered would 
be weighed in every Japanese household. General Grant's 
habit in answering speeches and addresses is to speak at the 
moment, without previous thought or preparation. On sev- 
eral occasions, when bodies of people made addresses to him, 
they sent copies in advance, so that he might read them and 
prepare a response. But he always declined these courte- 
sies, saying that he would wait until he heard the address 
in public, and his best response would be what came to him 
on the instant. The farewell to the Emperor was so im- 
portant, however, that the General did what he had not done 
before during our journey — he wrote out in advance the 
speech he proposed making to His Majesty. I mention this 
circumstance simply because the incident is an exceptional 
one, and because it showed General Grant's anxiety to say 
to the Emperor and the people of Japan what would be 
most becoming in return for their kindness, and what would 
best conduce to good relations between the two nations. 



TOUR AEOUND THE WORLD. 449 

The warmest words could only give faint expression to 
the feelings with which we took leave of many of those who 
had come to the steamer to pay us parting courtesy. These 
gentlemen were not alone princes — rulers of an Empire, 
noblemen of rank and lineage, Ministers of a sovereign 
whose guests we had been — but friends. And in saying 
farewell to them we said farewell to so many and so much, 
to a country where every hour of our stay had a special value, 
to a civilization which had profoundly impressed us and 
which awakened new ideas of what Japan had been, of her 
Teal place in the world and of what her place might be, if 
stronger nations shared her generosity or justice. We had 
been strangely won by Japan, and our last view of it was 
a scene of beauty. Yokohama nestled on her shore, against 
which the waters of the sea were idly rolling. Her hills 
were dowered with foliage, and here and there were houses 
and groves and flagstaffs, sentinels of the outside world 
which had made this city their encampment. In the far 
distance, breaking through the clouds, so faint at first that 
you had to look closely to make sure that you were not 
deceived by the mists, Fusiyama towered into the blue and 
bending skies. Around us w^ere men-of-war shimmering 
in the sunshine, so it seemed, with their multitudinous flags. 
There was the hurry, the nervous bustle and excitement, 
the glow of energy and reeling which always mark the last 
moments of a steamer about to sail. Our naval friends 
went back to their ships. Our Yokohama friends went off 
in their tugs, and the last we saw of General Van Buren 
was a distant and vanishing figure in a state of pantomime, 
as though he were delivering a Fourth of July oration. I 
presume he was cheering. Then our Japanese friends took 
leave, and went on board their steam-launch to accompany 
us a part of our journey. The Japanese man-of-war has 
her anchor up, slowly steaming, ready to carry us out to 



450 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

sea. The last line that binds us to our anchorage is thrown 
off, and the huge steamer moves slowly through the ship- 
ping. We 2^ass the Kichmond near enough to recognize 
our friends on the quarter-deck — the Admiral and his 
officers. You hear a shrill word of command, and seamen 
go scampering up the rigging to man the yards. The guns 
roll out a salute. Vie pass the Ashuelot, and her guns take 
up the iron chorus. We pass the Monongahela, so close 
almost that we could converse with Captain Fitzhugh and 
the gentlemen who are waving us/ farewell. Her guns 
thunder good-by, and over the bay the smoke floats in waves 
— floats on toward Fusiyama. We hear the cheers from 
the Ranger. Very soon all that we see of our vessels are 
faint and distant phantoms, and all tliat we see of Yoko- 
hama is a line of gray and green. We are fast speeding 
on toward California. For an hour or so, the Japanese 
man-of-war, the same which met us at Nagasaki and came 
with us through the Inland Sea, keeps us company. The 
Japanese Cabinet are on board. We see the smoke break 
from her ports, and we hurry to the Stide of our vessel to 
wave farewell — farewell to so many friends, so many 
friends kind and true. This is farewell at last, our final 
token of good-will, from Japan. The man-of-war fires 
twenty-one guns. The Japanese sailors swarm on the rig- 
ging and give hearty cheers. Our steamer answers by 
blowing her steam-whistle. The man-of-war turns slowly 
around and steams back to Yokohama. Very soon she 
also becomes a phantom, vanishing over the horizon. 
Then, gathering herself like one who knows of a long and 
stern task to do, our steamer breasts the sea with an earnest 
will — for California and for home. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

OENERAL GRANT AND HIS PARTY EN ROUTE FOR SAN FRAN- 
CISCO PREPARATIONS FOR GRANT's RECEPTION THE 

FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE STEAMER — THE ENTRANCE OF THE 

" CITY OF TOKIO " THE LANDING A GRAND PROCESSION 

A MAGNIFICENT SCENE AT THE PALACE HOTEL — A GRAND 

CHORUS^A CLAMORING PEOPLE GENERAL GRANT SPEAKS 

RECEPTION AT TUBB's HOTEL. 

The voyage across the Pacific was a pleasant one. 
General Grant passed the greater part of the time in 
reading, occasionally joining briefly in social conversation 
with his fellow-passengers. As the end of the journey 
drew near, all eyes were strained to catch a glimpse of the 
land so dear to them — their own, their native land. 

Meanwhile, extensive preparations were being made in 
San Francisco for the reception of the distinguished trav- 
eller. Although the City of Tokio was not due until the 
21st, the people began to look for its arrival as early as 
the 18th. The whole city was on the qui vive. A lookout 
was established to announce the first appearance of the in- 
coming steamer. At about mid-day, Saturday, September 
20th, ihe steamer was sighted ofi' " the Heads." The ftict 
was at once telegraphed to the city. 

The first tap of the bell and the hoisting of the flag on 
the Merchants' Exchange, announcing the approach of the 
steamer City of Tokio, startled the city from the spell of 
suspense that had prevailed for three days, and transformed 
idle throngs that were lounging about the streets into ex- 

(451) 



452 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

cited and hurrying crowds. Bells began to ring, steam-l 
whistles to scream, and the thunder of cannon to reverber- ■ 
ate over the hills and harbor. Thousands of men, women, 
and children, on foot, in carriages and on horseback, began 
to pour out in the dii action of Presidio Heights, Point 
Lobos, Telegraph Hill, and every other eminence in the 
vicinity, eager to catch the first glance of the incoming 
ship bearing the guest for whose reception so great prepa- 
rations had been made and whose arrival had been so anx- 
iously anticipated. Crowds hurried towards the wharves 
where the steamers and yachts that were to take part in 
the nautical pageant were lying. 

Immediately on receipt of xhe intelligence that the 
steamer was nearing port, the Reception Committee re- 
paired to the tug Millen Griffith, lying, with steam up, 
at the Pacific mail-dock, and at once started to meet the 
incoming steamer. The Millen Griffith stood well out to 
sea, and several miles outside the Heads met the City of 
Tokio coming in. The tug drew alongside, and the first 
one who went on board the steamer was Ulysses S. Grants 
Jr., who affectionately received his j)arents, and soon after 
the staid and handsome son, with his arm around his 
mother, was pointing out to her the principal features of 
the landscape. 

The General and his suite were on the bridge of the 
steamer, and the committee, hurrying on board, were con- 
ducted immediately to him. About the same time, the 
government steamer McPherson, with General McDowell 
and staff, ranged alongside, and the party came on board. 
No formalities were indulged in ; but crowding around 
General Grant, the committee and the General and officers 
were greeted with hearty shakes of the hand, the band on 
Dne of the steamers playing " Home Again." General 
Grant was then welcomed to the Pacific coast. 



454 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

While this was transpiring, the General Committee of 
Arrmigements, with several thousand invited guests, as- 
sembled on board the large, sidewheel Pacific maii-steamer 
China and a number of smaller steamers, while tugs took 
squadrons of the San Francisco and Pacific j^acht clubs 
in tow and started down the channel. 

In the meantime, it seemed as though the whole j^opu- 
lation of the city — men, women, and children — had sought 
positions from which a view of the naval pageant could be 
obtained. Every eminence commanding the channel was 
black with assembled thousands. Telegraph Hill was a 
living mass of human bodies, and the heights beyond 
Presidio, the Clay Street Hill, the sea wall at North Point, 
and every pier-head were covered with spectators. 

The sun was declining in the wTst as the steamers and 
yachts, gay with bunting, moved down the channel. Low 
clouds hung along the western horizon. Mount Tamau- 
lipas and the distant mountains north of the Bay were 
veiled in a mist, and Mission Hill and the seaward heiohts 
of the Peninsula were shrouded in a fog, but the channel 
was unobstructed, and the bold outlines of the Golden 
Gate rose sharjjly against the sky, while the Bay itself, with 
the islands and shores of Alameda and Contra Costa, were 
bathed in sunlight. From every flagstaff in the city flags 
were flying, and the shipping along the city front was 
brilliantly decked with ensigns, festooned flags and stream- 
ers. The impatient crowds that covered the hilltops stood 
straining their eyes to catch the first glimpse of the Tokio. 
A hundred times the cry was raised, "There she comes!" 
as chance arrivals came in view between the Heads. 

It was half-past five o'clock when a puff of white smoke 
from seaward, from off the earthworks back of and above 
Fort Point, and the booming of a heavy gun announced 
that the steamer was near at hand. Another and another 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 45o 

followed in rapid succession. Fort Point next joined in 
the cannonade, firing with both casemate and barbette guns, 
and the battery at Lime Point added its thunders to the 
voice of welcome. In a few moments the entrance to the 
harbor was veiled in wreaths of smoke, and as the batteries 
of Angel Island, Black Point and Alcatraz opened fire in 
succession, the whole channel was soon shrouded in clouds 
from their raj^id discharges. For some time the position 
of the approaching ship could not be discovered, but 
shortly before six o'clock the outlines of the huge hull of 
the City of Tokio loomed through the obscurity of smoke 
and ra|:)idly ai^proaching shades of evening lit up by the 
flashes of guns, and in a few moments she glided into full 
view, surrounded by a fleet of steamers and tugs, gay with 
flags and crowded with guests, while the yacht squadron 
brought up the rear, festooned from deck to truck with 
brilliant bunting. Cheer after cheer burst from the assem- 
bled thousands as the vessels slowly rounded Telegrajih 
Hill, and were taken up by the crowds on the wharves and 
rolled around the city front, hats and handkerchiefs being 
waved in the air. The United States steamer Monterey, 
lying in the stream, added the roar of her guns to the 
general welcome, and the screaming of hundreds of steam- 
whistles announced that the City of Tokio had reached her 
anchorage. 

The landing was made at the foot of Market street, 
where the most cordial greetings were extended officially 
and by the popular voice, and then began the march of 
triumph to the Palace Hotel on Montgomery street. 
Night had come on, but fireworks and artificial illumina- 
tions made the scene brilliant as noondciy. Under arches 
and amid flags, festoons, music, huzzas, waving of hats and 
handkerchiefs, and the hearty cheering of the multitude, 
the destination was finally reached. 

29 



456 LIFE or GENERAL GllANT. 

The scene within the immense court of the Palace Ho- 
tel wa^ of surpassing beauty. Electric lights of 500 gas- 
jets lit up the vast interior with a brilliant glow, and the 
dense throngs that packed the court and filled the spacious 
balconies and corridors surged to and fro in anxious ex- 
pectancy of the coming guest, whom the packed streets had 
detained. 

At ten o'clock the wide doors were thrown open, and a 
barouche containing General Grant was driven within the 
building. He immediately dismounted, and, crowding his. 
way through the packed mass of human beings, was hur- 
ried to his room. As he alighted, Mme Fabbri and a 
chorus of 500 voices opened from one of the balconies 
with an ode of welcome. 

The crowd rushed after General Grant when he dis- 
mounted, leaving the singers for a moment almost without 
an audience, but being stopped in their mad course by a 
force of police who blocked the way, they returned to the 
court, being reassured by the announcement that the Gen- 
eral would appear oh one of the balconies after he had time 
to take off his overcoat. 

After a chorus was rendered, General Grant, in response 
to repeated calls, appeared on the balcony of the fourth 
floor, and bowed to the shouting crowd, immediately retir- 
ing. Still, the enthusiastic jjopulace thronged the court, 
and refused to leave. Finally, Mayor Bryant appeared, 
and announced that as soon as the General had finished 
his dinner he would show himself In a few minutes Gen- 
eral Grant appeared amid deafening and long-continued 
shouts. Mayor Bryant called the crowd to order, and the 
General, mounting a chair which was passed over the heads 
of the surrounding crowd, was again greeted with a succes- 
sion of cheers. 



TOUR AROUND THE AVORLD. 467 

When the noise subsided, he addressed them as fol- 
lows : — 

Fellow-Citizens of San Francisco. — After twenty-five 
years' absence, I am glad to meet you, and assure you of my cor- 
dial thanks for the kind greeting you have given me. I shall 
stay in your city long enough to greet you more i'ully. 

The General then withdrew amid prolonged and tre- 
mendous cheering, and the crowd at length reluetantlv 
scattered. 

During his stay in San Francisco the General was feted 
and honored by citizens of all nationalities and classes. 
The veterans paraded, and receptions of various kinds, at 
Mayor's office and other places, were held. The Chinese 
consulate and residents also called and paid the General 
their respects. Oakland, across the bay from San Fran- 
cisco, also gave the General a welcome, 5,000 school- 
children participating with the military and civic bodies. 
Mrs. Grant received the ladies at Tubb's Hotel, where the 
General finally dined, so closing this eventful day in Oak- 
land. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

GENERAL GRANT'S PARTY VISIT YOSEMITE VALLEY OREGON 

SAN FRANCISCO FAREWELL BANQUET NEVADA THE 

CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINE SOUVENIRS SUTRO 

TUNNEL BURLINGTON, IOWA GALENA CHICAGO 

INDIANAPOLIS LOUISVILLE CINCINNATI COLUMBUS 

PITTSBURGH HARRISBURG PHILADELPHIA WELCOME 

HOME CHILDS' RECEPTION MANY OTHER HONORS. 

On the 1st of November, General Grant, accompan- 
ied by Mrs. Grant, U. S. Grant, Jr., J. W. Dent, General 
John F. Miller, wife and daughter. Miss Flora Sharon, and 
Miss Jennie Flood, started for Yosemite Valley, to view 
its beautiful scenery. A special drawing-room car was 
placed at their disposal, and after a pleasant ride they ar- 
rived at the great National Park, in which the valley is 
located. Several days were spent in examining its rare 
beauty. 

Yosemite Valley is one hundred and eighty-two miles 
east of San Francisco, and is, indeed, one of the most jdIc- 
turesque spots in the world. It is about seven miles long, 
and averaging, perhaps, one mile wide, and sunk from 
three-quarters to one mile below the surrounding country. 
It is irregular in its outlines, taking the direction of the 
five branches of the Merced Kiver, which put into it. The 
number of mountains whose vertical fronts wall this valley 
on nearly every side, and reach to heights varying from 
1800 to 6034 feet, are seventeen. Mount Starr King is 
5600 feet, or 320 feet more than one mile high. Cloud's 
Hest is 6034 feet, or 754 feet more than one mile high, 

(458) 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 459 

Beyond this is seen the top of South Dome. This is oik; 
of the grandest mountains in the valley, when viewed from 
a proper point. Looking upon it from the south, its top 
appears a complete dome, and, polished by the Almighty 
hand, it stands defiantly glistening and glimmering against 
the sky. Between North and South Domes lies ]\Iirror 
Lake ; and, untouched by the fierce storms, it refiects the 
mountains standing around, which look more beautiful in 
their inverted appearance. Beyond and in the distance are 
seen mountains rolling higher and still higher, furnishing 
one of the most sublime prospectives ever produced. While 
still further away in the far distance are seen the highest 
summits of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, whose sacred 
tops are ever robed in white. 

Over these rugged heights streams of water fall, making 
some of the grandest cataracts in the world ; of these. Sen- 
tinel Falls falls the greatest distance, plunging downward 
from a height of 2634 feet. The Upper Yosemite Falls 
is an unbroken sheet of more than a quarter of a. mile in 
height. Boaring and rustling in its downward fiiglit, it 
shoots its watery rockets to the basin below, while the sun 
points its bright lights on the rolling, fleecy spray. Twice 
more the waters leap before reaching the valley. The 
second fall is 600 feet ; the third fall is 434 feet. Nevada 
Fall is terrible. For 700 feet it leaps from point to point, 
roaring, and breaking, and bursting, as if sent from the in- 
fernal regions. Its breaking, crackling, and pealing sound 
is like Niagara. The spray rolls out into the valley, so 
dense, at times, as to hide from view the fall itself Tn 
this spray you stand shut out from the entire world, hear- 
ing only the water's wild and terrible roar, while the sun 
surrounds you in a halo of its own glory. 

Here, amidst Nature's most beautiful handiwork, tlu> 
travellers sought rest. But even here they were greeted by 



460 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

" Hail to the Chief," from a brass band which had found 
its way thither. Leaving the valley, they visited the other 
points of interest in the Park, and, after having seen the 
" big trees," they started for Oregon. At Portland every- 
body turned out to see the distinguished visitor, and a feat- 
ure of his reception was a ball by the Grand Army. A 
visit was paid to Salem, which tendered him an enthusi- 
astic reception. They then returned to San Francisco. 

The General was warmly welcomed "back to the city. 
He had met with kind words everywhere. In San Fran- 
cisco his receptions had not been confined to one political 
party or social class. In the evening of the same day he 
was given a farewell banquet at the Palace Hotel. It Avas 
an occasion to be remembered. The company consisted 
of about 250 of the most prominent gentlemen of the city. 
The decorations of the banqueting-hall were of the most 
elaborate description. The tables presented an elegant 
appearance, and the menu was engraved on solid silver, 
intended to serve the guests as souvenirs of the occa- 
sion, while that prepared for General Grant was of mas- 
sive gold. At midnight the General, his wife, and son 
Ulysses started for the silver-mines of Nevada. At noon 
of the 26th they arrived at Truckee Station, and, leaving 
the cars, drove in an old-style, long-spiing, brace wagon, 
six in hand, to see the beauties of Nature by the dark 
waters of Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful j^laces on 
the Pacific coast, or, indeed, anywhere in the United States. 
They had a sail on the lake, and drove into Carson in the 
evening b}^ the light of bonfires. The next day the party 
went to Virginia City. The General was greatly moved 
by the demonstration with which he was confronted six 
thousand feet above the level of the sea. Messrs. Sharon, 
Jones, and Fair met the General, and the reception was an 
imposing one. 



462 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

On the following Wednesday, General Grant, accom- 
panied by Governor Kinkead, of Nevada, Colonel James 
G. Fair, U. S. Grant, Jr., Philip Deidesheimer, and some 
dozen invited guests, visited Sutro Tunnel, and safely re- 
turned to Virginia City via the Savage mine. 

The General then bade adieu to Virginia City, and a 
special train bore him eastward. As the train stopped at 
Reno and Winnemucca, Nevada, he was loudly cheered, 
the train being surrounded in each instance by a large 
crowd. The next point reached was Ogden, Utah, where 
he was warmly welcomed. From there he went to Chey- 
enne, where a reception was given him by the Grand 
Army ; and on the next day they reached Omaha, Ne- 
braska. This was on Saturday, November 1st, and he re- 
mained here until the following ]\Ionday, when a special 
train bore him to Burlington, Iowa. Upon his arrival, an 
immense crowd thronged the streets, and the city presented 
a gay, holiday appearance, nearly every building being pro- 
fusely decorated with national emblems and with flowers. 
The princij)al streets were liberally arched, the arches hav- 
ing appropriate pictures and mottoes. The Fire Depart- 
ment paraded the streets all the morning, while a carriage 
drawn by four white horses, containing General Grant, 
Governor Gear, and Mayor Adams, was driven about the 
city, escorted by the Grand Army Corps, and followed by 
other carriages. The enthusiasm was general. At noon 
a reception for the members of the j)ress was held at the 
Hawkeye office, and a copy of the morning's Hawkeye, 
printed on white silk, was presented to the General. Lunch 
was served at the Mayor's house, and at half-past one 
o'clock there was a general reception at the hotel, where 
there was a dense crowd eager to shake hands with the 
guest. Mrs. Grant also had a reception at the Mayor's 
house. 



I 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 468 

From Burlington General Grant moved on Galena. 
As the train came in numerous salutes were fired, and the 
vicinity of the station was literally })acked with enthusiastic 
and delighted people. Militia from Galena and neighhor- 
ing towns was in line at the depot, and the band played 
"Auld Lang Syne " as General Grant descended from the 
carriage, with the Mayor of Galena, Governor Cullom^ 
Mrs. Grant and the rest of the party following. The pro- 
cession formed in the following order : 

Police. 

Galena, Freeport, and Dubuque Militia. 

Old Soldiers of Galena. 

Dubuque Veteran Corps. 

General Grant and party in carriages, and distinguished 

citizens of Galena. 

Every building was decorated, and elaborate arches 
were erected in several streets. The procession made a 
circuit of the town. The school children sang "America " 
in front of General Grant's family church. Finally, the 
procession stopped at a platform, wliere a formal greeting 
was extended by State Senator McClellan, in answer to 
which the ex-President said : 

Citizens of Galena. — It is with some embarrassment 
that I reply that your welcome is exceedingly gratifying to me ; 
but it is difficult for me to reply to what I have just heard, to 
what I have seen. Siuce I first left here, eighteen years ago, it 
has always been the greatest pleasure for me to return to Galena ; 
and now, after an absence of two and a half years from your 
city, during which time I have visited almost every country in 
the world, it is a pleasure to be greeted in this manner hy you. 
During my travels I received princely honors, but they were all 
due to" this country, and to you as citizens and as sovereigns of 
so great a country. When I saw during my absence, especially 
in the far East, how hard the inhabitants had to toil, even for a 
maintenance, I realized more than ever the greatness of our 



464 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

country, where want is scarcely ever known and where the ques- 
tion of sustenance is not daily considered. I will only add that 
I thank you again for your reception. 

It was fully five minutes before the cheers, which 
greeted the General's speech, had subsided. The crowd 
then called in turn for Cullom, Gear, Smith, Logan, Alli- 
son, and Washburne, who each made a speech eulogizing 
General Grant. The General then held a reception at the 
De Soto House. 

There was a perfect jam in the afternoon at the recep- 
tion, which lasted until about six o'clock. In the evening 
the town presented a brilliant and beautiful spectacle. The 
main streets and buildings were bright with the illumina- 
tion, and the houses on the surrounding hills with the light 
streaming from their windows, while the rockets and Eto- 
nian candles, which were continually being set off from 
them, added greatly to the brilliancy of the scene. The 
church- and fire-bells rang, and the streets were crowded 
with people eagerly discussing the General's return and 
reception, the like of whicli Galena will scarcely see again. 

General Grant and his family dined quietly at their 
residence, which they found nicely fitted up for their re- 
ception. From half-jjast eight until ten o'clock there was 
a continuous stream of people on foot and in carriages, all 
intent upon paying their respects to the General and Mrs. 
Grant, who received them in a most hospitable manner. 

• But General Grant was not allowed to remain long at 
his house. Yielding to a pressing invitation, he visited 
Chicago on the 12th of November. The morning, which 
had long been looked for as the inauguration-day of un- 
usual festivities attending the annual meeting of the Army 
of the Tennessee, opened with a dull sky, and up to eight 
o'clock the rain fell in brisk showers. Toward nine o'clock, 
however, the sky became brighter and the sun came out at 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 465 

times, making the prospect more favorable for the proces- 
sion and for decorating. At ten o'clock the Army of the 
Tennessee began its annual meeting at the headquarters in 
the Palmer House. General W. T. Sherman presided. 
General William E. Strong informed the 450 members 
present that they were to act as a guard of honor to Gen- 
eral Grant, and to follow him when he left the line of the 
procession. Owing to the short time left for arrangements, 
the business meeting was adjourned until four o'clock, and 
the rest of the session was taken up in arranging the de- 
tails of the procession. The principal feature of the day 
was the reception of General Grant by the citizens of 
Chicago and the Army of the Tennessee. 

The train from Galena, containing General Grant, ar- 
rived at Park Row, on the south side, promptly at one 
o'clock. At this time the rain was falling heavily, but in 
a few minutes the clouds lifted and the sun shone brightly. 
General Grant alighted with his party from the special car 
of President Ackerman, of the Illinois Central Railroad, 
and took a seat in the carriage provided for him. The 
procession at once formed, and moved from Park Row 
north through Michigan Avenue and other streets. 

The reception given by the Society of the Army of the 
Tennessee to General Grant took place in the evening, at 
Haverly's Theatre. The auditorium was beautifully deco- 
rated with flags, festoons of flowers, and wreaths. On 
either side of the stage was the inscription in evergreens, 
" Welcome to the Society of the Army of the Tennessee," 
and above the centre of the stage was " Welcome, Com- 
mander." There was also upon the stage a representation 
of the battle-ground back of Vicksburg, in charge of boys 
in blue, who guarded the approaches, doing regular sentry 
duty. The ground was strewn with munitions of war, 
fascines, etc. There were also arranged on each side of 



466 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

tlie stage and facing the audience life-size portraits of 
President Lincoln and General Thomas. High above all, 
on large banners, were inscribed the names of the battle- 
fields with which the Army of the Tennessee are so well 
acquainted. Loesche's military band sujDplied the music. 
The immense building was crowded with an audience 
which, upon the arrival of General Grant and staff, broke 
into hearty applause. Upon the stage were seated many of 
his prominent officers, including Generals Sherman and 
Sheridan. Governor Cullom, Mayor Harrison, and other 
dignitaries, were also present. Rev. Dr. Thomas opened 
the exercises with prayer. 

On Dec. 9th, General Grant and wife left Chicago by a 
special train for Indianapolis and their subsequent journey 
east. They were accomjianied, in an elegant private car, by 
Assistant Postmaster-General Tyner and wife, Kev. and 
Mrs. W. Alvin Bartlett, Colonel and Mrs. W. R. Hollo- 
way, and Colonel and Mrs. J. Hill. 

At Logansport, a committee from Indianapolis, con- 
sisting of Governor Williams, Mayor Caven, General John 
C. New, General C. O. Woods, General J. P. Slack, and 
others, met General Grant and party, and escorted them to 
the latter city, where they arrived at half-j^ast two. The 
procession, which had been formed ^^revious to the arrival 
of the train, at once moved forward, under command of 
General Daniel McAuley. The streets along which they 
passed were profusely decorated, and immense crowds 
greeted General Grant at every point. Arriving at the 
Grand Hotel, the party j^roceeded to the balcony, where 
General Grant was formally welcomed by General Fred. 
Krefler. In replying, the General said that the honors 
which he had received abroad had been paid to his coun- 
try rather than to him. 

After the reception, the party were driven to the resi- 



TOUR AROUXD THE WORLD. 4)j7 

dence of General John C. New, where General Grant 
dined with a few intimate friends. At quarter to eight, 
p. M., the General received the soldiers and citizens at the 
Court-House. This recej)tion continued until ten o'clock, 
after which the General attended a concert given by the 
Choral Union at the Robert's Park Church. General 
Grant then returned to General New's residence for the 
night. On the following day the party left by special 
train for Louisville, where he was escorted by an enthusi- 
astic procession to the Court-House, where he was officially 
"welcomed by both Mayor and Governor. 

General Grant and his party left Louisville in a spe- 
cial train at twenty-three minutes after nine o'clock, a. m., 
-on the following day; and at thirty-five minutes past 
twelve, p. M., the booming of cannon, shrieking of whistles, 
clanging of bells, and ringing cheers, announced that they 
had reached Gncinnati. The special train ran into the 
heart of the city to the public landing, where General 
Grant alighted in front of a grand triumphal arch and 
gateway bearing the words, " The gates of our city open to 
General U. S. Grant." Here Mr. Benjamin Eggleston 
received the party, and in a speech, as representative of all 
classes of citizens, welcomed him to Cincinnati. 

General Grant briefly responded, after which he took 
his place in the procession, moved on to Music Hall, where 
the General was heartily welcomed by the Mayor. Gen- 
eral Grant's response was received with loud cheers. Then 
followed a concert by the Thomas Orchestra. After about 
half an hour devoted to handshaking. General Grant re- 
tired, and was driven to the Gibson House for dinner. 
Later, he joined Mrs. Grant at the reception given by :\lr. 
and Mrs. Washington McLean in his honor. Mr. McLean's 
residence was elegantly decorated. Five hundred invita- 
tions to the elite of the city had been issued. 



468 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

On the following day General Grant and his party 
visited Columbus, where they were warmly received. At 
the Capitol Governor Bishop delivered an address of wel- 
come on behalf of the State, greeting him as a native of 
Ohio, in whom the citizens of the State were proud to 
recognize a native " Buckeye." General Grant's reply was 
very brief, simply acknowledging the welcome. He then 
shook hands with the citizens and school-children. 

General Grant and part}^ left Columbus at one o'clock 
on the morning of the 1 3th, and arrived at Pittsburgh 
shortly after nine o'clock. A committee from the State 
Legislature and a citizens' committee met the train at 
Mansfield, and welcomed the General to the State. To 
avoid the crowd at the Union depot, the train was stopped 
at Fourth avenue and Try street, where carriages were 
waiting, and the party were quietly conducted to the 
Monongahela House. 

The Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, 
representing the business interests of the city, called on 
General Grant at half-past ten o'clock, and Major Wil- 
liam Frew, on behalf of the Board, made an address of 
welcome, in which he referred to the various manufactur- 
ing interests of the city and of the benefits of resumption, 
to which General Grant responded appropriately, after 
which came the procession and welcome. 

At twelve o'clock the procession moved, the column 
being composed of the city police; Eighteenth, Nineteenth, 
Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Thirteenth regiments National 
Guard ; Grand Army of the Republic ; General Grant in 
a carriage with Mayor Liddell and Judge Agnew ; legis- 
lative committee, in carriages; fire departments of the 
two cities, etc. Upon arriving at Library Hall, the formal 
address of welcome was delivered by Hon. Daniel Agnew, 
ex-Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 469 

Shortly after six o'clock the principals of the Pitts- 
burgh schools called upon him in a body, and Professor 
George P. Fulton delivered an address, to which the Gen- 
eral responded in approjoriate terms. Shortly after the 
Central Grant Club also called in a body to pay their re- 
spects. Major Gus Braun acting as spokesman. In his 
reply, General Grant declared that he had never voted or 
publicly supported the man whom they favored for Presi- 
dent. Different other organizations called, occupying time 
VLp till shortly before nine, when the General and two hun- 
dred citizens sat down to a banquet at the Monongahela 
House. 

The banquet was one of the most brilliant and success- 
ful social events in the history of the city. There were 
two hundred guests present. The banquet closed five min- 
utes before twelve, with three cheers for Grant. One 
peculiar feature was the fact that the Women's Christian 
Temperance Union, in solemn conclave, ado23ted a resolu- 
tion calling upon the managers of the banquet to discard 
I all wine at the banquet. The management at first seriously 
entertained the request, but subsequently decided on wine, 
and five brands were poured into glasses. General Grant 
refused to taste either brand. 

The next day being Sunday, the General passed the 
day very quietly. He attended Christ's Methodist Epis- 
copal Church in the morning, accompanied by General 
Kane, an old friend, and colonel of the Pennsylvania 
Bucktail regiment during the war. During the remainder 
of the day General Grant remained in the hotel. 

On Monday morning, the General and his party set 
out for Harrisburg, where they arrived at half-past one, 
p. M. They were welcomed to the city in a speech by 
Mayor Patterson. Immediately after alighting from the 
cars the distinguished visitors entered carriages, and were 



I 



470 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



escorted to the Governor's residence by a procession, com- 
posed of military, posts of tlie Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, civic societies, and citizens. The line of march was 
handsomely decorated. Upon arriving at the Executive 
Mansion, Governor Hoyt welcomed General Grant in a 
speech of considerable length, to which the General re- 
plied as follows : 

Governor. — I thank you for your cordial welcome, and 
through you also thank the Mayor and the people of Harrisburg 
and of Pennsylvania for the reception given me to-day at the 
capital of your State. Since I left Philadelphia for my journey 
abroad, and since I landed at San Francisco to travel across the 
continent of North America, I have received no more cordial 
welcome than that given me by the people of Harrisburg. My 
reception abroad was full of honor, Avhich I attributed to the 
reputation of my country and the grandeur of its institutions, 
not to any deservings of my own. I again thank you, Governor, 
for your cordial greeting. 

The i^rocession was then reviewed by the General, after 
which a reception for ladies and gentlemen, which lasted 
several hours, was held in the Executive Mansion. 

In the afternoon, the committee of the City Councils 
of Philadelphia arrived, and after holding a meeting at the 
Lochiel House, they proceeded to the Executive Mansion, 
where they were cordially received by General and Mrs. 
Grant. Governor and Mrs. Hoyt and ladies of the Gov- 
ernor's family were also present. The parlors of the man- 
sion were decorated and festooned with flowers and ferns 
and laurels. George S. Graham, on behalf of the city 
of Philadelphia, read an address of welcome, with a for- 
mal invitation to the General to visit Philadelphia to-mor- 
row, and so complete his circuit of the world. To this 
General Grant replied, accepting the invitation. 



TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 471 

Pursuant to arrangement the party was escorted to the 
depot, where they took up their quarters in a sleeping-car, 
preparatory to leaving for Philadelphia at six o'clock A. m. 
The train which bore General Grant and his party to 
Philadelphia was made up of five Pullman coaches. In 
the first car were the members of Governor Hoyt's staff*. 
The second car was devoted to the newspaper correspond- 
ents, the third to the City Council, the fourth was the 
coach in which the General had crossed the continent, and 
the last was occupied by General Grant's party. In the 
latter were comprised Senator J. Donald Cameron and Mrs. 
Cameron, General A. T. Goshorn, Governor Hoyt, and W. 
M. Smith, a relative of Mrs. Grant. Lancaster was passed 
at ten minutes past seven. It was bright daylight — a 
clear, cold, raw morning. The train did not stop, although 
a large crowd had assembled in the hope of seeing the 
General at the car window. The party breakfasted on the 
train. At Mantua the rear palace car, containing Mrs. 
Grant and her lady companions, was detached and taken 
at once to the West Philadelphia Depot, where the ladies 
were received by Mr. and Mrs. George W. Childs, and 
conducted to carriages in waiting. The party drove direct 
to the Continental Hotel. The remaining four cars were 
taken by way of the New York junction to the intersection 
of Broad and Somerset Streets. 

The point at which Mayor Stokley was waiting to re- 
ceive General Grant was reached at twenty minutes past 
nine. General Grant and his friends had moved into the 
fourth car when the fifth was taken into West Philadel- 
phia, and in this car he received the Mayor. j\Ir. Stokley 
was accompanied by Presidents Caven and Smith, of the 
Common and Select Councils ; Colonel Charles T. Jones, 
and a few other city officials. Upon entering the car, 
Mayor Stokley cordially greeted his guest. 

30 



472 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Then followed the procession of welcome, which for ex- 
tent and enthusiasm equalled any greeting ever given the 
great hero. 

Much might be written about this triumphal journey, 
whose itinerary led down Broad to the new public build- 
ings, thence around into Market, jjassing under an arch 
bearing the legend, " All honor to the hero of the Nine- 
teenth Century ; " down Market to Fourth, through which 
the column passed to Chestnut. The old Indej^endence 
Hall was decorated and festooned from the pavement to 
the roof, and in front was the grand triumphal arch span- 
ning Chestnut Street, decorated with exquisite taste, and 
showing the motto, "Philadelphia's Welcome to the Pa- 
triot and Soldier." Turning westward, the grand ovation 





IVIEDAL STRUCK IN THE PARADE. 

of the day was received during the progress of the j^roces- 
sion up this fashionable thoroughfare. First, the city's 
arch, a glittering bower of flowers and flags, was passed ; 
then the magnificent archway, stretching from house to 
house, and far outshining the former in beauty and massive- 
ness, built by Mr. Wanamaker. Upon this archway were 
500 ladies. Far as the perspective effect permitted the 
eye to see, up the street was a fluttering forest of flags and 
streamers. The route led down through Thirteenth Street 
for a few squares, so that the column could be brought to 
pass before the Union League Club's building, on the cor- 
ner of Broad and Sansorn Streets. Opposite that point 
a reviewing stand was erected for the General's occupancy. 



474 LIFE OF GE:\EUAL (UlANT. 

In the evening the city was brilliantly illuminated, and 
Independence Hall, by the aid of calcium lights, shone 
forth with a splendor never before witnessed. Private 
dwellings were lighted from the first stories to the roofs, 
and the hotels were illuminated by calcium lights. A din- 
ner and reception to General and Mrs. Grant were held at 
the house of Mr. George W. Childs. 

The following persons sat down to the dinner : General 
and Mrs. U. S. Grant, Mr. Hamilton Fish, Miss Stanley, 
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Drexel, Mr. and Mrs. J. AV. Paul, 
Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Borie, General and Mrs. Sheridan, Mr. 
and Mrs. George Augustus Sala, Hon. and Mrs. J. Donald 
Cameron, Dr. and Mrs. J. M. DaCosta, Mr. J. S. Morgan 
(of London), Mr. EdAvards Pierrepont, Mr. George 8. Boui- 
well, Mr. John Welsh, Mr. George M. Kobeson, and Mr. 
U. S. Grant, Jr. 

Many other honors were showered upon the city's guest 
by private and public bands. The Grand Army, the 
school-children, the leading citizens — all, in short, showed 
their most brotherly love to him whom Philadelphia and 
all the world delighted to honor. 



i 



1 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

A. SOUTHERN TOUR — START FROM WASHINGTON — THE PARTY 

COLUMBIA SAVANNAH FLORIDA CUBA — HAVANA 

SAN DIEGO LOS BANCS A NATIVE BALL — CUBAN 

SLAVES — MATANZAS THE CARNIVAL — BULL-FIGllTING 

PROGRESSO VERA CRUZ CITY OF MEXICO — PRESI- 
DENT DIAZ — MEXICAN RAILROAD SCHEMES — SAN ANTONIO 
— CHERUBUSCO — HOME AGAIN. 

General Grant's famous '' Tour Around the World " 
was completed with his return to Philadelphia in the fall 
of 1879, from which city he had started two 3'ears before 
on that memorable journey. After having received and 
greatly enjoyed th« congratulations of his countrymen 
upon his safe return, certain business reasons presented 
themselves which rendered such a step necessary, and he 
^t once resolved to leave his home again for the purpose 
of visiting various points of interest in southern United 
States, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America, 
and perfecting certain business schemes in those sections. 
Arrangements were quickly made, for with the General 
to decide has always been to do, and soon he and a little 
•company of select and appreciative friends were ready for 
the departure. 

Washington, which for eight years had been the home 
of General Grant while he was President, was the rendez- 
vous and starting point for this second journey into foreign 
lands. Christmas was spent at home, and on the 30th 
•of December, 1879, General Grant and his happy party 

(•475) 



476 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



left Washington for Richmond in Colonel Thuiiins Scott's 
private car '" President." The party consisted of the ex- 
President and wife, General and Mrs. Sheridan, Colonel 
and Mrs. Grant, Miss Kitty Felt, of Galena, 111., and 
Byron Andrews, correspondent of the Chicago Inter-Oceun. 




INTERIOR OF THE PALACE CAR " PRESIDENT. 

At half past five p. m. the train moved out of the depot. 
Owing to the lateness of the hour of the departure from 
Washington, only small crowds, mostly colored, were at 
the various places along the route to greet the distin- 
guished traveller. 



TRAVELS IX- THE TROPICS. 477 

Kichmond was reached at 10,15 that eveniiiii, and the 
special car in which the travellers had taken pa^;.sage was 
immediately switched off and taken across the river to 
the Richmond and Danville Railroad, where the ti-ucks 
were changed, and the party proceeded on their journey. 

The ex-President entered the State of South Carolina, 
via Charlotte, N. C, at twelve o'clock on the following 
day, and was the first ex-President who had visited the 
upper section of this State since Washington passed 
through in his private carriage in the year 1707, at 
Chester, sixty-five miles above Columbia. There was a 
large gathering of whites and blacks, who assembled to 
give him a welcome hurrah as the train entered the 
depot. Judge T. J. Mackey, being en route to his court 
in Columbia, boarded the train, and, being cordially 
recognized by the ex-President, introduced him to a 
number of citizens, who warmly welcomed him, without 
regard to party. In a military aspect his character has a 
warm place in the hearts of thousands of Confederate 
soldiers, who, though bitterly hostile to his party, remem- 
ber him gratefully as the magnanimous victor at Appo- 
mattox. While en route to Columbia the ex-President 
expressed his admiration of the splendid climate and ag- 
ricultural and manufacturing resources of the State, and 
the attractions that it offers to Northern capitalists, 
stating that here the great water powers may be utilized 
for twelve months in the year, while in the North such 
motors can only be used for seven or eight months. 
When near Columbia, the ex-President, observing a tall 
chimney, black with the fire of internecine war, remarked 
to General Sheridan and Judge Mackey, '' There is one 
of Sherman's monuments." To which Judge Mackey re- 
plied : " You, General, did not permit your line of march 



478 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

to be marked by any such ghostly columns of victory." 
" No," said the ex-President, " there were several hundred 
dwelling-houses belonging to Confederates within my 
lines around Richmond, and they were undisturbed, and 
I presume that they are there yet. There was but one 
house burned near Richmond, and that was against 
orders." 

General Grant and party reached Augusta, Ga., that 
evening, and were received by a large crowd at the 
depot, notwithstanding rumors that they would not reach 
the city that night. They were escorted to their hotel by 
President Wilson, of the Port Royal Railroad Company, 
and the Mayor and Council men of the city. A reception 
was held which continued until a late hour. 

On the day following the arrival of General Grant and 
his party, they left Augusta for Beaufort and Savannah. 
The day was beautiful, and the visitors were waited 
upon by the Mayor and Councilmen, after which they 
were driven to the Union Depot, escorted by a band of 
music and colored military in procession, celebrating the 
emancipation proclamation. 

Savannah was reached at 10 p. m., and waiting were the 
Mayor, the Board of Aldermen and the Collector of the 
Port. There was no demonstration as the General left 
the carriage and ascended the hotel steps, with the ex- 
ception of three cheers given by the colored military. 

On the following morning, January 2d, the ex-President 
held a reception at the City Exchange. A number of old 
West Pointers, citizens and colored people, called. The 
cit}^ authorities gave the party an excursion down the 
river to a point below Fort Jackson, so that the visitors 
were enabled to get a good view of the city and its 
surroundings. 

Savannah is the largest and most important city in the 




PULASKI MONUMENT, SAVANNAH. 



•ITi) 



480 LIFE OF GE^^EEAL GKAXT. 

State of Georgia. It is situated on the southern side of 
the Savannah river, some eighteen miles from its mouth. 
Its streets run nearly in a north and soiithj east and west 
direction, crossing one another at right angles. Their 
width is irregular, and they are generally shaded with 
trees. At every alternate corner is a public square, which 
is beautifully adorned with shade trees. These squares 
or plazas, which are circular in form, are laid out in 
walks, and being well ornamented add greatly to the at- 
tractions and healthfulness of the city. Its beautiful 
streets and squares have gained for Savannah the name 
of " The Forest City of the South." In Johnson's Square 
stands a handsome monument erected to the memory of 
Generals Greene and Pulaski. It is of pure white marble, 
and stands on the spot where the latter fell in the attack 
made upon the city by the American army in 1779. The 
monument cost $22,000 in gold. 

In the afternoon the party were taken to Bonaventure 
Thunderbolt. In the evening the ex-President, with 
General Sheridan and Fred Grant, dined at the residence 
of General H. R. Jackson, and met Generals McLaws, 
Wayne, Lawton and other former Confederate officers. 
At night the Aldermen gave a serenade at the Screven 
House. The ex-President responded briefly, acknowl- 
edging the compliment, and regretting his short stay in 
Savannah. 

On the following day the representatives of the various 
industries of the city called upon the General, in company 
with the Mayor and Collector of the Port. In the after- 
noon the party left the city, having taken passage on 
board the '' City of Bridgeton " for Florida, the land of 
genial temperature, the home of the orange tree, and the 
popular refuge of northern invalids and aristocrats. 



TRAVELS IX THE TROPICS. 481 

At eleven o'clock on the morning of January 4tli. after 
a delightful trip, the steamer reached Fern and in a, Florida. 
This place is located on the northern part of Amelia Is- 
land, in the extreme northeastern part of the State. 
From here the party proceeded to Jacksonville, where, 
as everywhere else, the reception was cordial and enthu- 
siastic. 

From Jacksonville, General Grant and his friends made 
an excursion up the St. John's and Ocklawaha rivers, 
and thence back to Tocoi and on to St. Augustine. At 
the departure from Jacksonville on the morning of the 
8th inst., the same ceremony was, observed that had 
marked the General's arrival, and the steamer '' Kelsey " 
left the wharf amid salvos of artillery and strains of 
patriotic music. General Grant stood bowing in response 
to the cheers and farewells till the sound of the voices 
died away in the distance. The party on the journey 
from Jacksonville was the same with which General 
Grant set out from Washington, with the addition of Mr. 
Joseph Seligman, the New York banker, his wife and his 
son, Mr. George Seligman. The first stop was made at 
Orange Park, a new town, started three years ago. 
Across the river, at Mandarin, is the residence of Mrs. 
Harriet Beecher Stowe. There was a large crowd gath- 
ered here to welcome the General, and long before the 
pier was reached there was a constant booming of cannon 
in honor of the event. Mr. Benedict, of Orange Park, 
had spread out on tables under great live oak trees a lit- 
tle agricultural exhibition of the products of the planta- 
tion. There were fine Indian corn, long sea island cotton, 
oranges, shattucks, lemons, strawberries and vegetables 
in profusion. Another landing was made a few nnles 
further up, at Green Cove. Palatka was reached at sun- 
set, and there the travellers found a brief rest. 



482 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



Hurrying through the sights of this section, Tocoi was 
reached, where a committee of citizens of St. Augustine 
met General Grant, and acted as an escort to the distin- 
guished guests the rest of their way to that city of vener- 
able renown. 

After thoroughly, but somewhat hurriedly, seeing this 
quaint old town, being welcomed and given a reception 

and ball, the General and his 
party, on January 19th, re- 
turned to Jacksonville, and on 
the following day started for 
Cedar Keys. Here he embarked 
in the "Admiral," and after a 
stop at Key West for a day, 
sailed for Havana. The trip 




was uneventful, and at ten 



o'clock on the morning of the 
22d of January, the passengers 
on board the ''Admiral " could 
distinguish Morro Castle, with 
its gray bastions and towers, 
guarding the entrance to the 
harbor of Havana. The city 
stands upon a small bay which 
makes up from the Gulf of Mexi- 
co. Its harbor, which at its 
widest part does not exceed a 
mile and a half in width, is one 
of the finest in the world, being 
deep enough for vessels of the largest class, and large 
enough to accommodate a thousand ships of war, and so 
safe that vessels ride securely without cable or anchor. 
The entrance is by a channel half a mile in length, so 
narrow as to admit the passing of but a single vessel 



EN ROUTE TO SAN DIEGO 



TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 483 

at a time, and fortified throughout the whole distance 
with military works and artillery. 

As the "Admiral " neared the city, steam launches 
were seen standing out from the harbor. They proved 
to contain Americans who had come off to salute the 
travellers, but they did not board the steamer, and it soon 
became evident that everything was to be done with 
stately leisure and in due form. The wharves were cov- 
ered with a curious crowd, but there was no noisy enthu- 
siasm, such as an American throng always manifests. 

In about ten minutes a pompous fellow in epaulets and 
plumes was rowed alongside, and, after shaking hands 
with General Grant and others, withdrew. This was the 
officer of the flagship, Seiior D. Ismael Warleteta. A few 
minutes passed again, and then a very grand party came 
up the side out of a steam launch. This was the Civil 
Governor of the province, Seiior Cuesta, Colonel Cerero, 
Chief Engineer, and other gentlemen of various ranks 
and order. The Governor announced that Captain-Gen- 
eral Blanco was absent, but had prepared for the use of 
General Grant quarters at his palace. The American 
Consul, Mr. Hall, also came and was warmly greeted by 
General Grant. The visitors were taken ashore in the 
launch, and carriages were in waiting on the wharf A 
guard of honor was in front of the entrance to the palace, 
flanking the driveway, and extending in diverging lines 
out into the street. At the foot of the stairs stood Gen- 
eral Collejos and the Alcalde Municipal of the city, to re- 
ceive the visitors, who were escorted to magnificent 
quarters in the north wing of the palace. They passed 
through the parlors, where General Grant tarried a 
moment to look at the portraits of Martinez Campos, 
Jovellar, and others. Then they were informed that a 



484 LIFE OF GEXERAL GRAXT. 

lunch was ready to be served. The afternoon was spent 
in a drive about the city. Next day a grand official ban- 
quet was p;iven in honor of General Grant at the palace, 
beginning at half past six o'clock. About eighty persons 
were present, including General Callejas, the Vice-Gover- 
nor-General, the intendants of the treasury and army, Gen- 
eral Arias, Governor of the Province of Havana, members 
of the municipality, the Bishop of Havana, and other divS- 
tinguished persons. Those of the guests who were married 
were accompanied by their ladies. The ex-President 
occupied the centre of the table, having on his right the 
wife of General Callejas, and on his left Mr. Mendoza, 
the Mayor of Havana. Opposite to the ex-President sat 
General Callejas. General Sheridan was in uniform. 
The ladies were plainly but elegantly attired. The 
dining-hall and table were profusely and tastefully orna- 
mented. Music was furnished by the Marine Band, 
stationed in the court-yard of the Palace, and the band 
of the Engineer Corps, outside, on the square, playing 
alternately. The Palace was appropriately illuminated. 
No speeches were made, but cordiality reigned and the 
visitors expressed much satisfaction. The banquet was 
concluded at nine o'clock. Afterward the party assisted 
at a performance at the Tacon theatre, where the Spanish 
zarzuela (comic opera) of the " Barbero de Lava-pies," 
and the national Spanish dance were performed. The 
portraits of the King and Queen of Spain were suspended 
in front of the stage curtain. 

" Havana is a city embracing all the Moorish and Co- 
rinthian peculiarities of construction found in Spain and 
Mexico, while in the habits of life and general spirit of 
its inhabitants it indulges in all the characteristic aban- 
don of Paris. 

" Let me sketch the outline of a day as ordinarily 



TEAVELS IN THE TKOPICS 4ft5 

spent by the visitor. Rise at six, Cal'e con leche and a 
hard biscuit with an orange or so before leaving the room. 
The sunrise hour is delicious. The volunteers are already 
assembling upon the prado in front of the hotel. Tiiey 
are inspected by battalions every morning. By seven 
o'clock the street swarms with them ; the band gives us 
strange and martial Spanish airs ; then they all march 
away 'to come again another day.' There are plenty of 
novel features of life to attract the attention until break- 
fast time, which is, say 1 0.30 A. m. Your waiter is a 
leisurely tyrant. He brings endless courses of meats and 
strange compounds of flesh and vegetables, and lastly, 
your cofiee and fruits. Claret is served in abundance. 

" From breakfast until about four P. M. you are engaged 
much in the same way as the boy who kept a diary and 
wrote every day that he 'didn't do nothin' much.' 
Choose, then, if you will take a coach to the Cerro, the 
palatial suburb, or continue in the foregoing pleasing oc- 
cupation. Dinner is partaken between six and eight 
p. M. New arrivals are discussed and plans laid for the 
evening. 

" Now Havana is seen at its best. The super-heated 
pavements of the day are bathed in the cool light of the 
moon. Every cafe is thronged; the parks are festive 
with laughter and music. All are as eager as children 
loosed from school. The theatres are packed. A reflex 
of the Jardin Mabile, a Chinese theatre and an American 
circus all claim and get their share of trade. Bull fights 
are a semi-occasional. My chief desire thus fiir has been 
to see the poor but gamey old bull gore a few of the mis- 
erable Dagos, who convert the unhappy beast into an an- 
imated pin-cushion with their spangled darts. 

"It may interest some of the 'boys' who glean the 



486 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

daily modicum of news items for the papers at home to 
iiear somewiiat of the mode in which Cuban journals are 
conducted. The two leading papers are JBl Trlum/o and the 
Diario de la Marina. There are several other sheets of 
lesser weight, some being specialists. The publication 
office is usually in some arched building as picturesque 
as the interior of a morgue. The editorial rooms are 
above, and will contrast favorably with those of our 
metropolitan papers. The sheets are struck off direct 
from the type upon a flat bed-press one side at a time. 
The two papers named are morning sheets, but have a 
post-meridian edition also. 

"Reporters are neither numerous, ubiquitous or cheek}^ 
EnterjDrise and sensation have no habitation witli them. 
I stood with one (of a morning sheet) the other night 
upon the curb while a very unusually destructive fire 
illuminated the whole city. The lights upon the watch- 
towers gleamed redly, and heavy steamers dragged noisily 
along. I said : ' Well, I suppose you will be busy now 
getting the points?'' 'Oh, no,' was the reply, ' we will 
learn all about it from the police to-morrow.' The 
' facts ' were set forth in the second issue thereafter. 
The guild, however, is just the same here as in other 
parts of the world, and stray Bohemians are welcomed 
in the traditional style." 

On the morning of the 28th General Grant and his 
party left Havana for San Diego Los Banos, which is cele- 
brated for its thermal baths. Senor Manuel F. Bramodis, 
General Manager of the Western Railroad, Dr. Daniel 
M. Burgess, an officer of the United States Sanitary Com- 
mission, Mr. R. 0. Williams, United States Vice-Consiil- 
General, Senor Julio Durege, proprietor of the baths, and 
Colonel Cuesta were added to the party. 



488 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The travellers arrived at Paso Real, a station on the 
road about 100 miles west of Havana, at two o'clock, 
having made a short stop at San Crestobal, the scene of 
greatest destruction by the recent earthquake. After a 
lunch the journey was resumed in volantes. This volante 
must be seen to be appreciated. It is in appearance like 
a balloon on wheels, in its proclivity to upset like an 
Irish jaunting car, and in its general convenience and the 
ease with which the traveller rides in its capacious inte- 
rior like a phaeton. The procession of volantes was a 
quarter of a mile long. One of them was painted red, 
and in this were placed General and Mrs. Grant. Aside 
from the color, all seemed to be the same, and of equally 
doubtful character and wonderful construction. There 
was a great deal of loud talking, good-natured and other- 
wise, of cracking of whips, and backing and twisting of 
unruly mules and horses and unwieldy vehicles. Finally 
they set off at a merry pace. The road from Paso Real 
to San Diego has probably never been repaired since the 
original settlers took possession of the island. As long as 
it led across the level plain, all was well. Soon a succes- 
sion of hills was reached, and the fun began. The rock- 
ing volantes rolled and swung until the occupants had to 
hold on for their lives. It made no difference to the 
drivers. They had only one object in view — to reach 
San Diego — and did not seem to care how the travellers 
endured the journey. So they fell over ditches, washed 
out during the rainy season, and up hills and down to 
San Diego of the Oastes. 

The mayor of the town showed good taste in giving 
General Grant an unusual treat. He divined rightly that 
a ball in the style of the rustics would be interesting. He 
accordingly sent out invitations to the Cuban planters of 



490 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the district to a " boile " in honor of the distinguished 
guests. At half-past eight o'clock the visitors repuii-ed to 
the scene of festivities. The ball-room was a large apart- 
ment on the ground floor. The creole belles sat in chairs 
in a row along one side, and the cavaliers were similarly 
ranged on the opposite side of the room. The band was 
composed of three negroes playing a guitar, a mandolia 
and a guira. The last was a long gourd hollowed out 
and very dry. Upon the convex side were a succession 
of parallel grooves, over which the musician scraped 
another piece of gourd shell, making a sharp rasping 
accompaniment to the stringed instruments. The prin- 
cipal dance was much like the first movement of an Irish 
jig^ and went on indefinitely without much change, the 
dancers keeping up a perpetual shuffle back and forth, 
toward and away from each other until they or the 
musicians tired of the step, when a quick kind of walse 
took its place. The attire of these olive-skinned dam- 
sels was in nowise remarkable. It consisted of a white 
or figured linen dress, trimmed with pink or blue ribbons. 
But the costume of the Guajiro (pronounced Washero), 
as the rustic is called in Cuba, was peculiar. All of them 
wore palm-leaf hats with broad brims, which were re- 
moved from the head only when raised for an instant 
when a partner w^as asked for the dance. The upper 
garment looked like a shirt of white or figured cotton or 
linen^ that floated and fluttered half way to the knees. 
The trousers were gray linen. A bright-colored cotton 
handkerchief was folded and passed over the right 
shoulder, the ends being brought together and tied closely 
under the left arm. At the side hung the wachita, held 
by both hands behind the back when it happened to be 
m the way of the dancer. The heel of each caballero 



TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. }:.l 

was armed with a long spur. General Grant and his 
fellow-travellers watched the dance for an hour and 
returned to the hotel; but the '-Ijoile" lasted until 
morning. 

From San Diego Los Banos General (J rant and part\- 
journeyed to Consolacion del Sur, one of the chief towns 
in the Province of Pinos del Rio, lying west of Havana. 
It may be explained that this is one of the six provinces 
into which the island was divided after the peace of Mar- 
tinez Campos. The road to this place from San Diego 
takes the traveller into a new land. It is not so tropical 
as the rest of Cuba, although the palm tree in its many 
varieties abounds. The pine is also found in extensive 
groves, and from this the province takes its name. The 
red soil of the sugar country changes here to a light 
straw color or ashy hue, very sandy and not so rich as 
the other in vecretable arowths. There is an undulating 
plateau of this kind of land sloping from the mountain 
chain to the Caribbean sea, and extending from the vicin- 
ity of Paso Pteal to the western extremity of the island, 
which produces the finest tobacco in the world. The 
railroad has not yet penetrated the heart of this region, 
so the journey to Consolacion was by volantes and a 
coach. This coach was the only drawback to the trip, 
its frequent disasters causing the procession to halt so 
frequently that the trip was thereby considerably pro- 
tracted. 

At one of these plantations the slaves were called up 
for examination. Such a woe-begone company was never 
seen. The women were of small stature, poorly clad, 
and without the first ray of intelligence beaming in 
their faces. The children were likewise exhibited. The 
i^overnor took a little fellow playfully by the ear and 



492 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



said : " You are the bad boy that rides the sheep." He 
repUed, " No, sir ; I stay with the pigs," and he looked 
as though he spoke the truth. All the slaves, 130 in 
number, were then summoned together, and the Governor 
made them a brief address, in which he told them their 




"a leading occupation." 

lot was a good one, and to be envied, and more of such 
mockery. Every black face in front of him seemed to 
give the lie to his words. By the acknowledgements of all 
who knew, these people knew nothing of true domestic life. 



TEAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 498 

General Grant left Havana for Matan/as on the after- 
noon of the 5th, accompanied by Colonels Cerero and 
Cuesta and several other officers of the Government, be- 
side members of his own party. The route taken was 
the Bay Railroad, Matanzas being sixty-two miles dis- 
tant, through a diversified country of rough hills and 
broad, flat valleys. This is one of the best sugar regions of 
Cuba, and some persons believe that Matanzas will yet 
be the chief port of the island on this account, and be- 
cause the bay is broader than that of Havana. 

Upon arriving at the depot, General Grant was met by 
the Alcalde, accompanied by the adjutant representing 
the Governor of the Province and members of the coun- 
cil, and a speech of welcome was made. When the Gen- 
eral had been formally offered the hospitalities of the 
city„ the party were shown to carriages and driven to the 
palace. Here the Governor of the Province received 
General Grant in the most cordial manner at the foot of 
the staircase, and showed him and his companions to the 
parlors. 

After the presentation at the Palace the travellers 
were driven to the hill to the northwest of the city, over- 
looking one of the most celebrated valleys in the world, 
that of the Yumuri. The visitors saw a great bowl 
where once a vast lake lay, now green with the grass and 
cane of the plantations that are spread over its bottom. 
It dips down several hundred feet at once at this ])onit, 
and stretches away for miles to the range of hills on the 
other side. Through the centre wind two small streams, 
but there is no valley along their banks to break the 
symmetry of the smooth bowl. They are oidy like 
ditches put in the surface, and they thread their way 
down to the ravine which opens into the bay. 



494 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

On Saturday, February 7th, the final social entertain- 
ment in honor of General Grant was given at the Arsenal. 

The carnival began on Sunday, the 8th, and closed on 
the evening of the 10th. On the following Sunday the 
same scenes were re-enacted, with greater and more 
desperate gayety. A special feature of the season was a 
brutal bull-fight. On the previous day the newspapers 
announced that the great Mexican matador had at last 
arrived, together with the lasso-throwers, etc., and that 
they would positively appear in the arena at Regla, 
where eight bulls would be killed. Regla is the Brooklyn 
of Havana, and a ferry crosses the bay every few min- 
utes. In order to finish in time for the procession the 
fight began at two o'clock, instead of four as usual. Sev- 
eral thousand people attended, and the scenes of the pre- 
vious Sunday were re-enacted, except that they were more 
hideous in brutality. The Mexicans were very old men 
for such business. Two of tliem must have been over 
fifty, yet they were as wiry as boys and very strong, 
though slight in build. Two of the Mexicans before 
the fight were mounted upon trained horses, brought 
wath them from their own country. Their lariats were 
caught around the horn of their saddles. In a little cup- 
board-like affair was a youth busily cutting tissue paper 
into rosettes to trim the darts that are thrust into the 
bull's neck. The horsemen were putting on heavy leather 
overalls to protect their legs from the horns of the bull, 
and were tightening the saddle-girths. On the other side 
of the entrance to the arena w^ere the bull-pens, where a 
dozen fat and sleepy fellows lay chewing their cuds. 

The fight was the same as on all occasions, except that 
there was less bungling and more dextrous stabbing and 
carving of the victims. Most of the bulls had sharp 



\ 

TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 495 

horns, and gored the poor jaded horses till the arena was 
covered with pools of blood. Only one of the bulls was 
killed outright by the sword of the matador; the rest 
being stabbed repeatedly till they quietly laid down from 
loss of blood, when a blow at the base of the skull with 
a dagger killed them instantly. The performances of 
these men were greeted continually with such applause 
as a New York audience bestows upon a favorite prima 
donna. The lassoing was scarcely less brutal than the 
rest. A rope would be thrown over the animal's horns 
or around his neck, and another around a foot. Tlu-n 
the ropes were given a turn about the horns of the saddle, 
and the riders would dash at a gallop in opposite direc- 
tions. Of course the bull was thrown, and he usually 
gave up and could scarcely be made to rise. When 
tortured and goaded the animal w^ould fight to the last, 
but when once he felt himself securely roped he lost 
heart. One or two of them had to be released to save 
them from dying at once from sheer vexation. 

The procession started at the Punta, opposite Morro 
Castle, proceeded along the Prado, in the new part of the 
town, through the Campo Marte, over the Paseo Tacon 
to the Castle on the hill at the outskirts of the city, and 
back a^ain, a distance of six miles. There was no 
reo-ular formation. Each vehicle fell in where it hap- 
pened. The only semblance of order was that the teams 
in tandem, with four or six-in-hand, were placed in single 
file in the centre. There were about 2,500 vehicles, 
and the parade lasted from 4.30 to 7 o'clock. The day's 
ceremonies concluded with the ball at the Tacon theatre. 
Most of those in the procession were not masked, but 
siuiply drove out, as on any other occasion, in the best 
style they could command. The carriages of the Captain- 



496 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

General, in which General Grant and the members of his 
party rode, were extremely elegant. While the great 
majority of the carriages were rather shabby, the number 
of fine imported horses was surprising. There was noth- 
ing imposing about the costumes. Groups of maskers 
rode in express-wagons, trimmed for the occasion with 
the Spanish flag. A favorite device was to cover the 
wagon with drooping palm branches and then label it, 
" Moses in the bulrushes." All were very decorous, and 
most of the maskers sat in their places as still as scare- 
crows in a corn-field. 

After a satisfactory visit to Cuba, and three weeks 
spent in observation of its people and institutions, 
General Grant sailed for Mexico, February loth, by the 
"City of Alexandria." This steamship came with a large 
passenger list, and after General Grant's party em- 
barked at Havana the cabin was nearly full. Mr. John 
Alexandre was aboard, and left nothing undone to insure 
the comfort and enjoyment of all. Many old travellers 
said they had never before experienced so agreeable a 
voyage across this treacherous Gulf at this uncertain sea- 
son of the year. 

The second morning found the steamer anchored in the 
Gulf of Progresso. Progresso, the new port of the prov- 
ince by the same name, is only about seven years old and 
succeeds Sisal as the shipping point for hemp, which is 
the leading and almost exclusive product of the country. 
All kinds of tropical fruits are grown, but they are des- 
tined only for local consumption. The houses are one 
story and roofs of thatch. The people are of Toltec 
origin, a race boasting a greater anticpiity than the Az- 
tecs. They dress chiefly in thin light-colored goods, and 
betray the universal tropical weakness for ornament. 



498 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 






The travellers wished to go ashore, but it was impo& 
sible. The wind could not be relied upon, and the 
lighters could not come out as long as the wind blew. 
At three o'clock in the afternoon a sail boat appeared 
under the bow. She brought a committee of citizensiii" 
from Merida, the capital of Yucatan, who had been sent' 
to the coast the day before to escort General Grant to 
the city. They came simply to pay their respects, and I 
to explain what they would have done had the wind 
been favorable. It had been the intention to take the 
General up to Merida (twenty-six miles) and back that 
afternoon, a banquet and a reception being also on the 
programme. Later in the day the lighter came off with 
a few more passengers for Vera Cruz, and at dark the 
" City of Alexandria " steamed gayly away on her course 
for Campeche. 

The city of Merida boasts of a population of from 
40,000 to 50,000 people. The city was founded in 1542, 
on the site of a city previously ruined by the Spaniards, 
and is regularly laid out and well built of stone. It pos- 
sesses several good squares, the principal and most central 
one containing the Cathedral, a rich edifice of the 16th 
century, the Bishop's residence, and the Government 
House. Of its three convents, two are now in ruins ; a 
remaining portion of the Jesuit's Convent is now occupied 
by the State Legislature. The manufactures and trade 
are inconsiderable. 

On the following morning the steamer lay to again, 
and another committee came out with a complimentary 
address to General Grant. The latter conversed for 
some time with the gentlemen, asking questions as to 
the productions of the country, after which he returned 
quietly to the perusal of his book, and they retired. 



TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 499 

At a very early hour on the following morning all the 
travellers were on deck to get a first look at Vera Cruz and 
the famous peak of Orizaba. A norther was predicted,which 
should keep them on board any number of days, lor Vera 
Cruz has no harbor to speak of; but the sea was as un- 
ruffled as the face of a Madonna. Orizaba, seventy miles 
mland, stood up against the western sky, with its cap of 
eternal snow, seemingly less than a day's walk distant. 
The walled "City of the True Cross" stretched along the 
shore, compactly set within its gates. That famous fort- 
ress. San Juan de Ulua, which Humboldt says cost $50,- 
000,000, seemed a part of the town. As they looked, a 
cannon and another and another boomed a welcome 
across to them. 

Presently a trim man-of-war, dipping its tri-color of 
red, white and green, came up and lay to on the port 
side of the " City of Alexandria." A boat was lowered, 
and ex-Secretary Romero and wife (an American lady), 
General Mejia and several naval officers stepped on board 
the "Alexandria." General Grant and General Mejia 
greeted each other as old friends, the latter having rep- 
resented his government in Washington during the ex- 
President's administration. After a few moments' con- 
versation, ex-Secretary Romero, who with General Mejia 
had been sent by the Mexican President to receive Gen- 
eral Grant, read a brief address of welcome. 

General Grant thanked the commander in a few words, 
and all sat down to coffee together. At eight o'clock 
two barges of the Naval Commandant came alongside, 
and the General and his party were taken ashore. 

A reception was held at the United States Consulate 
under the direction of Dr. Trowbridge, the Consul. Gene- 
ral Teran on behalf of the citizens welcomed General Grant 



500 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

most cordially, closing his address by saying, "Vera Cruz is 
proud to be the first Mexican city which welcomes such a 
distinguished guest, such a great soldier and patriot." 

General Grant said in reply : 

"General Teran — I am very glad to come to Mexico, 
and to land at Vera Cruz. It has long been a wish of 
mine to come to this country, and I am pleased to find it, 
at the moment of my arrival, at peace with all the world. 
I hope that the relations between the United States and 
Mexico will grow closer every day. The development of 
this country will be a great advantage to the United 
States. Many Americans are watching with interest 
your progress and manifesting a lively satisfaction in it. 
No one can be more gratified than myself at your im- 
provement. 

At ten o'clock on the 21st, the party started for the 
Mexican capital, which was reached in the evening of the 
same day. The station and surrounding grounds were 
brilliantly illuminated. The band of the Zapadores was 
in attendance ; also a commission appointed by the gov- 
ernment, one by the municipalit}^, and another by the 
American residents, were present. The concourse of 
citizens was immense, numbering over ten thousand, and 
the main street leading from the station was blocked with 
coaches for a mile in length. The streets along the line 
to the Casa de Mineria were lined with double files of 
mounted troops, and the Rural Guards, eight hundred 
strong, each bearing a torch, through which the ex-Presi- 
dent passed. The effect was most brilliant, especially 
when the Guards closed in by platoons and galloped be- 
hind the visitors. At the station the committee of the 
government met the ex-President. The chairman ex- 



TKAVELS IN THE TROPICS 601 

tended to him the welcome of the government, and then 
presented the committee of the municipaUty, who ten- 
dered him the hospitalities of the capital. Attended by 
the committees the ex-President and party then proceeded 
to the Mineria, the building prepared for them during 
their stay in the city. Upon arrival at the Mineria, the 
band of the Zapadores played the national hymn. As 
the military marched by the house the ex-President went 
on the balcony, when he was greeted by cheers from the 
multitude. 

While the party were in Florida, it was rumored that 
the old palace at Chapultepec was being refitted for the 
occupancy of the travellers during their sojourn in 
the Mexican capital. This seems to have had no foun- 
dation in fact. To have banished the Americans to this 
lovely but lonely rock would have been folly indeed. A 
drive of three miles through clouds of dust would have 
discouraged any frequency of visitation to the city, and 
the impressions of Mexico naturally resulting would have 
consisted of broad perspectives rather than of close de- 
tails. The Mexicans very sensibly devoted one wing of 
the School of Mines (hi Minered), a vacant but imposing 
building, centrally situated, to the purpose. It was in 
the main court of this structure that the International 
Exhibition was held last year, and which was made the 
Mecca of about one hundred and twenty pilgrims from 
Chicago. 

Upon Monday, at 11 A. M., Generals Grant and 
Sheridan, with Colonel Fred Grant and their respective 
ladies, repaired to the national palace for the purpose of 
an official call upon President Diaz. They were received 
in a saloon of sumptuous fittings, guarded by a large and 
brilliant retinue of attaches. After a few words of formal 



502 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

welcome, a general conversation ensued, Senor Romero 
acting as interpreter. Tiie Mexican Executive appears 
to be a man rather of deeds than words, and such is his 
reputation. He has won his seat by years of hard 
fighting. 

In the evening of the same day the ex-President dined 
with Minister Foster. Assisting were President Diaz, 
several members of the Cabinet, and other distinguished 
persons. After the dinner was over the company re- 
paired to the drawing-room, where the ex-President 
received a large concourse of callers who retired and 
were continually succeeded by others till after midnight. 
The callers numbered nearly a thousand persons. 

On the 29th of February General Grant and his party, 
attended by commissioners appointed by the govern- 
ment of the city, visited the different departments in 
the National Palace. On the next day a grand review 
took place in honor of the ex-President. Six coaches 
from the Presidential residence conveyed President Diaz 
and General Pacheco, Secretary of War, ex-President 
Grant, General Sheridan, Seilors Matias Romero and 
Ygnatio Marescal, Colonel Frederick Grant and other 
officers, to the place of review. After the review, the 
bod}^ of the army marched through the principal streets, 
falling into a column of honor in front of the National 
Palace, on the balconies of w^hich were President Diaz 
and General Grant, and others. General Carrillo com- 
manded the troops. 

In the evening the party dined with President Diaz, 
the dinner being followed by a grand concert and illumi- 
nation on the Plaza. 

One of the chief points of interest, yet difficult for the 
traveller to reach in Mexico, is Pachuca and the Regla, 



TRAVELS IN THE TROPICS. 503 

whither General Grant and his party went on March 3d. 
He visited the mines at Pachuca, Ometusco, the village of 
Zem Joala, Choluslo, and other places. He was much 
interested in the remains and ruins of Aztec civilization, 
which generally invite the traveller to linger in the most 
picturesque dalliance. Some bones of men, earthenware 
used in domestic labors, and warlike arms of the Aztecs 
were found. 

After rambling among the quaint old Mexican towns, 
General Grant and his party returned to the City of 
Mexico. The last days of General Grant's stay in this 
tiity were very busy ones. He had frequent talks with 
leading men from all parts of the Republic, at their solici- 
tation, about the best means of developing the waste places 
of Mexico. The General thinks that railroads alone will 
solve the problem. Several prominent Mexicans, after 
talking with him, decided to form a syndicate to soHcit 
the necessary grants from the Mexican Congress, and 
then to transfer the enterprise for execution to American 
-capitalists. Afterward some important correspondence 
passed between them and General Grant, in which the 
entire subject was discussed. In closing the correspond- 
ence, General Grant made use of the following lan- 
iguage: 

" I wish your project every success. Anything I can 
•do to advance it I will do. There is no doubt in my 
mind but that the great Northern RepubHc, now pressing 
upon your borders so closely, will find it to their interest 
to penetrate this vast and rich empire, if they can do so 
on fair terms, and with assurance of protection. That 
these conditions can and will be secured by Mexico, I 
fully believe. I will lend the project my aid in every 
way possible, both as an American citizen, wishing the 
greatest good to my own country, and as a friend to 

32 



.504 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Mexico, desiring her advancement in wealth and pros- 
perity, and all good. Very truly, your obedient servant, 

•^ U. S. Grant." 

At San Antonio they stopped for a short time, and as 
usual General Grant had a reminiscence of the place. 
"Here," he said, "I lay with my regiment waiting for 
the battle of Contreras to be fought. We threatened the 
enemy who lay at Cherubusco, so that he could not rein- 
force the army that was to be attacked. When at length 
Contreras was won and we moved upon Cherubusco, we 
found that the enemy was not willing to make much of 
a fight, but soon withdrew. 

Cherubusco was near by in plain view, with its towers 
and gray roofs rising among the poplars that line the 
streets. 

Shortly after this the party departed for Vera Cruz, from 
which place passage had some time 23reviously been engaged 
for the United States in the steamer "' City of Mexico." 
For a fortnight and more the weather in the Gulf and 
throughout the West Indies had been uncertain, so that 
the vessel encountered a very severe storm, but made 
Galveston Harbor on March 2.3d. A reception was fol- 
lowed by a trip to San Antonio and Houston; then New 
Orleans was reached. 



I 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

GRANT SETTLES IN NEW YORK HE ENTERS THE MAZES OF 

BUSINESS THE FIRM OF GRANT & WARD HOW THE GEN- 
ERAL WAS DRAWN INTO THE WHIRLPOOL OF DISASTER 

AN OVERWHELMING TROUBLE VANDERBILT's GENEROSITY 

THE ASTOUNDING WONDERS OF WARD's RASCALITY A 

TALE OF TURBULENT TROUBLE. 

Following the career of our hero, we reach now iiis 
days of sorrow and shadow. The bright picture of his 
triumphal progress round the world draws to its glittering 
close amid the beams of coming twilight. The defeat of 
his ambition amid the clamors of Chicago was but the 
preliminary of a world of business troubles, and then the 
final fatal illness. 

Galena could not be considered for a moment a place 
of pleasure for a man so well travelled, so widely known 
as General Grant. Many of his old-time friends had by 
this time removed to scenes of greater activity, and Grant 
determined to follow them. 

New York attracted him more than other cities of the 
Union, and two of his sons, who had already settled tliere 
in business, made his preference a fact. Thither tlie 
General removed and took up his residence in a mansion 
on Sixty-sixth street east of Fifth avenue, from which 
pleasant home he was removed to Mount McCregor, a 
sore-stricken and sorrowing man. 

It is not easy to detail very clearly the story of tlie ex- 
President's misfortunes in Wall street. Ferdinand Ward, 

(505) 



5(16 



LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 



the execrable author of them all, is now behind prison 
bars. This adventurer — who was the actual head of the 
firm of Grant & Ward, of which Buck Grant was the <;en- 
eral partner, and General Grant the special partner — was 
a shrewd, shar[y Wall street operator who knew that if he 
could only obtain a name to conjure with, he could float 
himself to fortune. Unhappily he fell in with the Grant 
boys, and he saw his opportunity to utilize the name of the 



/ 



W^ 



f 




^^^gffli^l^J.^ 




GUAXT'S residence in new YORK. 

hero of Appomattox. The firm of Grant & Ward was 
put in operation in the autumn of 1880. Everything pros- 
pered until the spring of 1884, when the crash came and 
the world was suddenly startled to learn that General 
Grant was bankrupted. 

At first the current of popular opinion inclined to blame 
the General for having allowed himself to be brought to 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 5<)7 

beggary by a swindler. But as the niontiis succeeding 
the crash rolled away, the sober second thought of the 
people was enabled to see that the General was simply 
the victim of misfortune, and a victim of misplaced confi- 
dence. He had, with the common American carelessness, 
trusted too easily, too readily to the silver-tongued Ward, 
to whom the whirlpools of speculation were a delight, the 
dangers of reckless investment a pleasure. 

The story of the old hero's connection with the firm of 
Grant & Ward is best told in the General's words taken 
from a deposition made March 27th, 1885, during the trial 
of James D. Fish, the swindling president of the Marine 
Bank. Grant said in answer to questions that he sup- 
posed he was a member of the firm of Grant & Ward, as 
the books showed him such, though up to the time of the 
failure he supposed that he was simply a special partner. 
His connection dated from about November 1st, 1880. He 
then paid in $50,000 and shortly after $50,000 more, though 
he did not recall the date. That was all he had paid in. 

On the 4th of May, 1884, General Grant supposed he 
was worth •* well on to a million." He could not recall 
whether he knew James D. Fish before the co-partnership 
or not. '' I had no suspicion of any rascality, and, therefore, 
there was nothing to confine my mind to any such dates." 

When asked through whose introduction he became 
acquainted with Fish, General Grant said : 

•' I suppose it was by my son and Mr. Ward. 1 sup- 
' pose if you should go clear back that it was my son who 
got acquainted with Mr. Ferdinand Ward through Mr. 
Ward's brother, and that the acquaintance was led on to 
in that way. The man was supposed, so far as I ever 
knew, to be a reputable banker until after the fiiilure, and 
it was not astonishing that a person should uiake his ac- 
quaintance." 



508 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

" General Grant said he had a dim recollection of re- 
ceiving a letter from Fish while living at Long Branch. 
It might have been the letter of July 6th, 1883. He did 
not know where the letter was. ' I suppose/ said he, 
' Mr. Ward took very good pains that I should not have 
it. I don't suppose that I ever saw the one that was 
published.' 

" The General recalled answering the letter, and saying 
that he believed the matter the firm was engaged in was 
all right, or something like that. He had no recollection 
as to what became of the letter, and did not believe it 
was the one published. He had searched in vain for the 
letter. 

" '^ I have never been in the habit of preserving private 
letters, and if I was to try I suppose I should make a poor 
record. My business in life has been such that somebody 
else has always taken care of letters that had to be saved, 
and the only way that I have now of preserving a letter 
that I wish to preserve until I do something with it is to 
put it in my side coat pocket, or put it in the drawer 
where I write, and then when I want to look for a letter 
it is about the last one I find.' 

" The deponent identified a letter shown him as being 
in his own handwriting. It was dated July 6th, 1882, and 
addressed to Mr. Fish. It referred to a letter received 
from Mr. Fish the day before, but General Grant did not 
recall whether or not the letter referred to had been 
shown to him by Ferdinand Ward. Mr. Ward transacted 
all the business, and General Grant supposed that Ward 
brought the other letter to him, got the answer, and de- 
livered it to Mr. Fish, 

" General Grant volunteered the information that at the 
time he went into the firm he had a very small income, 
saved for him by his son during his trip around the 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 509 

world. His son proposed to let him have a half interest 
in the firm, so that the General should have an income to 
live upon. Afterward an income was raised for him, 
and the firm generously, as he then thought, concluded to 
let him in as a half partner, and, later, as a whole partner 
— special, not general. 

^ In answer to a question of Mr. Root, counsel for the 
Government, as to the time at which he was accustomed 
to reach his ofiice when staying at Long Branch in the 
summer of 1882, General Grant said he had forgotten the 
exact time of leaving Long Branch in the morning, but 
he usually reached the office about 10 A. m. 

"The deponent recalled no reference to Government 
contracts in Mr. Fish's letter, to which the letter just 
identified was an answer. ' I had told Mr. Ward, when 
it was mentioned, that there must never be any Govern- 
ment contracts there. There is nothing wrong in being 
engaged in Government contracts more than in anything 
else unless made wrong by the acts of the individual, but 
I had been President of the United States, and I did not 
think it was suitable for me to have my name connected 
with Government contracts, and I knew that there was 
no large profit in them, except by dishonest measures. 
There are some men wdio got Government contracts year 
in and year out, and whether they managed their affiiirs 
dishonestly or not, to make a profit, they are sometimes 
supposed to, and I did not think it was any place for 
me.' 

" Li answer to a further question, General Grant said 
that, had he found any reference to Government contracts 
in the letter, he would have stopped, but, as a matter of 
fact, he might never have seen that letter, as Ward might 
simply have given him a statement of its contents. 

" The deponent knew Ward to be a director of the 



510 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Marine Bank, and to be there a great deal, but suspected 
nothing wrong. He knew of but one Government con- 
tract in which Ward professed to be interested, and in 
that case, Ward said that he had just bought 350,000 
bushels of oats, and that there was a further large quan- 
tity to be purchased, all for delivery to a third party, who. 
had the contract. General Gi'ant saw nothino; wrono; in 
this, as the firm had not taken the Government contract. 
Afterward he began to fear. It was near the failure, and 
there were whispers that Grant & Ward had Government 
contracts. He questioned Ward, and the latter said that 
he was not going to do anything that would injure the 
General, or anything that the General requested him not 
to do. He denied that he had contracts anywhere. He 
intimated that his acquaintance with city officers enabled 
him to get municipal contracts, and General Grant told 
him he saw no great difference between city, and Govern- 
ment contracts. Ward then said that he never had a 
contract with either the city of New York or the Govern- 
ment of the United States. 

"Ward illustrated the nature of his contracts, by citing 
the case of a man having a contract for a section of rail- 
road connecting Pittsburgh with the Reading system. The 
contractor, being unable to obtain horses, supplies, and 
the like, came to Grant & Ward for money with which to- 
prosecute this contract. When General Grant had ob- 
jected to such a transaction as unsafe, Ward had replied 
that the firm kept the contract in its possession, and the- 
money was all paid into the firm's office. General Grant 
supposed Ward was more of a business man than he, and 
accepted the explanation. 

" Mr. Fish had never questioned him about Government 
contracts, and General Grant would have repudiated them 
had he done so. Fish did not consult with him about 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 



Grant & Ward's aftairs after July 5th, 1882. Some time in 
the Avinter of 1883, General Grant, Mr. Fish, Colonel 
Grant, Mr. Ward, James R. Smith, Mayor Edson, Cit} 
Comptroller J. Nelson Tappan, and Treasurer Spencer, 
of the railroad, were four days together in a special car, 
in Western Pennsylvania, but Mr. Fish did not speak of 
business, though they spoke of Ward, and agreed that he 
was a man of great energy and ability. Fish said, that 
he had never in his life before got anything so good. 

" When asked whether he had drawn from the firm the 
profits he was led to suppose had been made. General 
Grant said : ' No, I did not. 1 left them with the con- 
cern, and everything that I had beside, and I haven't got 
it out. I had some little items, but I don't know what 
amount, that were purchased, some of them for me, with 
the money of the firm, that were profits of the firm ; they 
never were purchased, but then they were supposed to be, 
and 1 was charged with the purchase of them.' 

'' He drew from the firm at the rate of $2,000 per 
month in 1883, and $3,000 per month in the early part 
of 1884, up to the failure. That was the limit of his 
drafts. 

" ' Everything that I had in the world went,' said Gen- 
eral Grant. ' Ward came up here on Sunday night before 
the failure, and asked me to go down with him to see 
Mr. Newcomb, to see if he couldn't get $150,000 from 
him ; that he had himself raised $230,000, and if he could 
raise $150,000 more, it would carry the Marine Bank 
through ; that we had $660,000 in the Marine Bank, be- 
sides $1,300,000 of securities in our vaults ; that we 
should be inconvenienced very much if we couldn't carr>- 
the bank through, and he said that the Marine Bank was 
all sound and solid, if it had time to collect in, or draw 
little of its time loans, and I went down there with 



m a 



.512 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

him, and Mr. Newcomb was not at home, and he asked 
me if I knew Wm. H. Vanderbilt well enough to ask him, 
and I, after some httle hesitation, said I did, and Mr. 
Vanderbilt loaned it to me without hesitation at all. He 
said at the time he gave it to me, that he was lending 
this to me, and that he had no recollection of ever hav- 
ing done such a thing before, but that he would do it for 
me. Well, that has taken all the remaining property that 
I had.' 

" Ward said nothing of the firm's indebtedness to the 
bank. He said the firm had seven hundred and odd 
thousand in the bank, and so the books of Grant & Ward 
showed. Mr. Fish had expressed no distrust of Ward in 
the spring of 1884. General Grant was sorry to say that 
he had not the slightest distrust of Ward the night before 
the failure, and his son, U. S. Grant, Jr., after the failure, 
said that Ward would come out all right. He had such 
friendship for Ward's brother William, that he did not 
believe Ferdinand could do a dishonest act. It took the 
General a day or two to realize that Ward had acted so. 
He had never heard of Mr. Fish's apprehension that 
Ward had run away a week before the failure. He under- 
stood from Ward, the Sunday before the failure, that the 
firm had $750,000 in cash in the bank. Ward was in 
the habit of making statements as to their business, but 
General Grant could recall no recent statements, except 
that Ward would show certain calculations, and name the 
profits figured up. General Grant looked at them later, 
and his recollection was that they showed the nature of 
the profits. He had none of those statements in his 
possession. He never read one of them until after the 
failure. They showed from month to month the profits 
of the firm." 

The next day Ward wrote to U. S. Grant, Jr., giving 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 513 

an elaborate fictitious statement of the condition of the 
firm, and enumerating a list of securities amounting to 
$1,323,700. Then he went on : 

" We must get $500,000 on them, and have the clieck 
dated to-day. Now go to Mr. Vanderbilt and tell him 
just how we stand, and that if he will do this for us we 
will send him $800,000 or $900,000 of the securities in 
the morning, whichever he may select of them. . . . 
Go right at it, Buck, and remember that if it is not done 
it will be the end of our business career." 

It is needless to state that this remarkable suggestion 
was not complied with, as these " securities" existed only 
in the fertile brain of Ward. On Tuesday, May 6th, 
New York was startled by the announcement of the 
failure of the Marine Bank, and also of the firm of Grant 
& Ward. 

General Grant was completely overwhelmed by the 
collapse of the firm. But for several days the extent of 
the disaster was not known, and the realization of the 
gigantic proportions of the swindle came with a merciful 
slowness. Mr. Fish bore an unstained reputation for 
probity, and the officers of the Marine Bank refused to 
■credit any of the terrible rumors with which the atmos- 
phere of Wall street was charged. The news of the fail- 
ures was coupled with an assurance that the embarrass- 
ment was only temporary. 

General Grant's first thought was for his individual 
liability to Mr. Vanderbilt for the $150,000 loan. The 
morning before the suspension, the General's son had 
gone to Mr. Vanderbilt and given him the check of Grant 
& Ward for $150,000. And now the General's feeling 
was one of deep thankfulness that, whatever losses he 
might be called upon to bear, this loan, which he had 
hesitated to ask, and which he regarded as in the highest 



514 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

degree a debt of honor, had been repaid. Alas ! he did 
not then know that the check was worthless, and that the 
scoundrel who had prevailed upon him, by his plausible 
lies, to solicit the loan, knew the check to be valueless 
when he signed it. When this was revealed to the 
stricken hero, he staggered under the blow. But he 
hesitated not a moment as to the course to be pursued. 
This debt must be satisfied, even at the sacrifice of all his 
earthly possessions. His wife, who had faithfully stood 
by him in all the vicissitudes of his wonderful career, did 
not flinch on this occasion. Of course the property which 
stood in her name could have been preserved from legal 
process, but no advantage was taken of this fact. On the 
9 th of May, before the full extent of the terrible calamity 
had been realized, the proper papers were executed, and 
the real estate and personal property of Ulysses S. Grant 
and Julia Dent Grant was transferred to William H. 
Vanderbilt. Nothing was withheld, all of the mementoes 
and presents even, every thing that had value was made 
over. 

Mr. Vanderbilt returned the deeds to General Grant 
immediately upon their receipt, refusing positively to ac- 
cept them. In the meantime, in order to protect the 
property from other creditors to whom General Grant was 
not bound in honor, the General begged Mr. Vanderbilt 
to institute legal proceedings to recover the amount of 
the loan. The General confessed judgment, and this 
judgment stood as a lien upon the property, thus prevent- 
ing its seizure by other creditors. 

The failure of Grant & Ward was a monstrous matter. 
When the failure was announced the liabilities were sup- 
posed to be $2,500,000, But investigation developed a 
most astounding state of affairs. Railroad bonds and 
other securities taken as collateral, and which were sup- 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 51.-, 

posed to be in the vaults of the firm, had entirely disap- 
peared, and it was ascertained that they had been nscd 
by Ward precisely as if they were his own property, and 
had been transferred to other parties as security for mon('\- 
borrowed by him, that is, in the language of Wall strei't. 
they had been " rehypothecated." 

After a thorough investigation the assignee of the Hrm 
stated that the liabilities reached the enormous sum of 
^14,000,000, to meet which he found no assets whatever. 
Everything had been swallowed up by the reckless specu- 
lations and personal prodigality of Fish and Ward. Gen- 
eral Grant and his sons had become involved far beyond 
the amount of their investments, as during a temporary 
embarrassment of the firm in 1881, the crisis had been 
averted by giving personal notes, which were indorsed by 
the firm. 

As soon as it came to be generally known that the 
Grants had so acted, a disposition was manifested to raise 
a fund to take from the last days of his career the damning 
pinch of poverty. General W. T. Sherman led the move- 
ment, to which Mr. Vanderbilt liberally contributed. 
Mr. Cyrus W. Field, who was actively pushing the matter, 
received at this juncture a letter from General Grant, re- 
questing that a stop be put to the matter, declining the 
kind work of his friends. 

The next move in the settlement of the troubles came 
from Mr. Vanderbilt. Shortly after that gentleman re- 
turned the deeds sent him by General Grant, he sailed for 
Europe. The General and his wife inunediately took 
advantage of his absence, and made formal transfer ot 
the property in another wa}-. They executed mortgages 
of all the property in favor of Mr. Vanderbilt. and placed 
these mortgages in the hands of Mr. Vanderbilt's attor- 
neys. The general public had been led, by various re- 



516 LIFE OF GENEKAL GEANT. 

ports in the public prints, to form a very unfavorable idea 
of Mr. Vanderbilt's character, and he had come to be re- 
garded as utterly selfish and grasping. But his conduct 
in connection with the loan to General Grant was marked 
by a generosity and delicacy which did him infinite honor. 
The concluding events in connection with this transaction 
cannot better be told than by reprinting the following 
correspondence : 

640 Fifth AvExNUE, January 10th, 1885, 
Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant — Dear Madam: So many misrepresenta- 
tions have appeared in regard to the loan made by me to General 
Grant, reflecting unjustly upon him and myself, that it seems 
proper to briefly recite the facts. 

On Sunday, the 4th of May last, General Grant called at my 
house and asked me to lend him one hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars for one day. I gave him my check without question, not 
because the transaction was business-like, but simply because the 
request came from General Grant. The misfortunes which over- 
whelmed him in the next twenty -four hours aroused the sympathy 
and regret of the whole country. You and he sent me within a 
few days of the time the deeds of your joint properties to cover 
this obligation, and urged my acceptance on the ground that this 
was the only debt of honor which the General had personally in- 
curred, and these deeds I returned. During my absence in Europe 
the General delivered to my attorney mortgages upon all his own 
real estate, household effects, and the swords, medals and works 
of art which were the memorials of liis victories and the presents 
from governments all over the world. These securities were in 
his judgment worth the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 
At his solicitation the necessary steps were taken by judgment^ 
etc., to reduce these properties to possession, and the articles men- 
tioned have this day been bought in by me, and the amount bid 
applied in reduction of the debt. Now that I am at liberty to 
treat these things as my own, the disposition of the Avhole matter 
most in accord with my feelings is this : 

I present to you as your separate estate the debt and judgment 
I hold against General Grunt; also the mortgages upon his real 
estate and all the household furniture and ornaments, coupled 
only with the condition that the swords, commissions, medals, 



I 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. oiT 

gifts from the United States, States, cities and foreign govcnuiui its 
and all articles of historic interest and value shall, at the (Jen- 
eral's death, or, if you desire it, sooner, be presented to tlie gov- 
ernment at Washington, where they will remain as perpetual 
memorials of his fame and of the history of his time. 1 enclose 
herewith assignments to you of the mortgages and judgments, a 
bill of sale of the personal property and a deed of trust, in wiiicli 
the articles of historical interest are enumerated. A copy of this 
trust deed will, witli your approval, be forwarded to the President 
of the United States, for deposit in the proper department. 

Trusting that this action will meet with your acceptance and 
approval, and with kindest regards to your husband, I am, 

Yours respectfully, W. H. Vandekbilt. 

General Grant replied as follows : 

New York City, January 10(h, 1885. 

Dear Sir : Mrs. Grant wishes me to answer your letter of this 
evening, to say that while she appreciates your great generosity in 
transferring to her the mortgages given to secure my debt of 
$150,000, she cannot accept it in whole. She accepts with jilens- 
ure the trust which applies to articles enumerated in your letter 
to go to the government of the United States at my death, or 
sooner, at her option. In this matter you have anticipated the 
disposition wdiich I had contemplated making of the articles. 
They will be delivered to the government as soon as arrangements 
can be made for their reception. Papers relating to all other 
property will be returned, with the request that you have it sold 
and the proceeds applied to the liquidation of the debt which I so 
justly owe you. You have stated in your letter with the minutest 
accuracy the history of the transaction which brought me in your 
debt. I have only to add that your giving me your check for tiie 
amount without inquiry was an act of marked and unusual 
friendship. The loan was to me ])ersonally. I got the money, as 
I believed, to carry the Marine National Bank over a day, being 
assured that the bank was solvent, but, owing to unusual calls, 
needed assistance until it could call in its loans. I was assured 
by Ferdinand Ward that the firm of Grant & Ward had over 
3,000 to their credit at that time in the Marine Bank, besides 

L,300,000 of unpledged securities in their own vault*. 

I cannot conclude without assuring you that Mrs. Grant'.s in- 



518 LIFE or GENEEAL GRANT. 

ability to avail herself of your great kindness in no way lessens 
■either her sense of obligation or my own. 

Yours very truly, U. S. Grant. 

W. H. Vanderbilt, Esq. 

Mr. Vanderbilt still persisted in his generous purpose, 
as will be seen from the next letter in the correspondence: 

640 Fifth Avenue, January llth, 1885. 
General U. S. Grant — My dear Sir: On my return home last 
night I found your letter in answer to mine to Mrs. Grant. I ap- 
preciate fully the sentiments which actuate both Mrs. Grant and 
yourself in declining the part of my proposition relating to the 
real estate. I greatly regret that she feels it her duty to make 
this decision, as I earnestly hoped that the spirit in which the 
offer was made would overcome any scruples in accepting it. But 
I must insist that I shall not be defeated in a purpose to which 
I have given so much thought, and which I have so much at 
heart. I will, therefore, as fast as the mone}^ is received from the 
sales of the real estate, deposit it in the Union Trust Company. 
With the money thus realized I will at once create with that com- 
pany a trust, with proper provisions for the income to be paid to 
Mrs. Grant during her life, and giving the power to her to make 
such disposition of the principal by her will as she may elect. 
Very truly yours, W. H. Vanderbilt. 

The first impulse of the General and his wife, on read- 
ing this reiteration of Mr. Vanderbilt's generous inten- 
tions, was to accept, and the following answer was re- 
turned : 

New York City, January 11th, 1885. 
Dear Sir : Your letter of this date is received. Mrs. Grant and 
I regret that you cannot accept our proposition to retain the prop- 
erty which was mortgaged in good faith to secure a debt of honor. 
But your generous determination compels us to no longer resist. 

Y'ours truly, U. S. Grant. 

To W. H. Vanderbilt. 

Upon further reflection, however, Mrs. Grant felt that 
aiie could not honorably accept the proposition, and she 



FIKANCIAL TROUBLES. 619 

accordingly closed the correspondence with the following 
note : 

New York, January IMh, ISSo. 

My Dear Mr. Vanderbtlt : Upon reading your letter of this 
afternoon, General Grant and myself felt that it would be un- 
gracious to refuse your princely and generous offer. Hence his 
note to you. But upon reflection I find that I cannot, I will not 
accept your munificence in any form. I beg that you Avill pardon 
this apparent vacillation, and consider this answer definite and 
final. 

With great regard, and sense of obligation that will always re- 
main, I am, Yours very gratefully, 

Julia D. Grant. 

When Mr. Vanderbilt opened the foregoing correspon- 
dence he had already drawn up a deed of trust, convey- 
ing the various trophies and presents which had become 
his property to Mrs. Grant, under the condition men- 
tioned in the correspondence. This deed of trust, which 
explains itself, reads as follows : 

Whereas, I, William H. Vanderbilt, of the city of New York, 
Toy virtue of a sale made under a judgment in a suit to foreclose 
a chattel mortgage in the Supreme Court of this State, in which I 
•was plaintiff and Ulysses S. Grant defendant, which judgment was 
entered on the 6th day of December, 1884, have become the owner 
of the property and the articles described in the schedule here- 
unto annexed, formerly the property of the said Ulysses S. Grant, 

Now, therefore, to carry out a purpose formed by me, and in 
-consideration of $1 to me paid, I do hereby transfer and convey 
each and every one of the articles mentioned and itemized in tlic 
said schedule to Julia Dent Grant, 

To have and to hold the same to her, her executors and adminis- 
trators, upon the trust and agreement, nevertheless, hereby ac- 
cepted and made by her, that, upon the death of the said Ulysses 
•S. Grant, or previously thereto, at her or their option, the same 
shall become and be the property of the nation, and shall be taken 
to Washington and transferred and conveyed by her and them to 
.the United States of America. 
33 



520 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

In witness whereof the said William H. Vanderbilt and Jnlia 
Dent Grant have executed tliese presents this 10th day of January, 
1885, W. H. Vanderbilt, 

Julia Dent Grant. 

The following is the list of personal property turned 
over under this deed by Mr. Vanderbilt to the United 
States, forever to be the property of the nation and for- 
ever the record of the nation's distinguished son. The 
relics were turned over to Colonel R. N. Batchelder, of 
the War Department, on June 11th, 1885. The list was 
prepared by Colonel Fred Grant : 

Mexican onyx cabinet, presented to General Grant by 
the people ,of Pueblo, Mexico. 

Aerolite, part of which passed over Mexico in 1871. 

Bronze vases, presented to General Grant by the people 
of Yokohama, Japan. 

Marble bust on pedestal, presented by workingmen of 
Philadelphia. 

Large elephant tusks, presented by the King of Siam. 

Small elephant tusks, presented by the Maharajah of 
Joharie. 

Picture of General Scott, by Page, presented by gen- 
tlemen of New York. 

Crackleware bowls (very old), presented by Prince 
Kaon of China. 

Cloisonne jars (old), presented by Li-Hung-Chang of 
China. 

Chinese porcelain jars (old), presented by Prince Kaon 
of China. 

Arabian Bible. 

Coptic Bible, presented by Lord Napier, who captured 
it from King Theodore of Abyssinia. 

Sporting rifle. 

Sword of Donelson, presented to General Grant after 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. •'-,21 

the fall of Fort Donelson by officers of the army, and 
used by him to the end of the war 

New York sword, voted to General Grant at a New 
York fair. 

Roman mug and pitcher. 

Silver menu and card, farewell dinner of San Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 

Silver menu of Paris dinner. 

Horn and silver snuff-box. 

Silver match-box used by General Grant. 

Gold table, modelled after the table in Mr. McLean's 
house, on which General R. E. Lee signed the articles of 
surrender, and presented to General Grant by ex-Confed- 
erate soldierSo 

j Gold cigar-cases from the celestial and second Kings 
of Siam. 

Gold-handled knife, presented by the miners of Idalio. 

Silver trowel, used by General Grant in laying the 
corner-stone of the Museum of Natural History, New 
York. 

Knife made at Sheffield for General Grant. 

General Grant's gold pen. 

Embroidered picture (cock and hen), presented by citi- 
zens of Japan, 
. Field-glasses used by General Grant during the war. 

L'on-headed cane made from the rebel ram Merrimac. 

Silver-headed cane from wood used in defence of Fort 
Sumter. 

Gold-headed cane made out of wood from old Fort 
Duquesne, Pennsylvania. 

Gold-headed cane, presented in token of General 
Grant's humanity during the war. 

Gold-headed cane used by Lafayette and presented by 
the ladies of Baltimore. 



522 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Carved wood cane from estate of Sir Walter Scott. 

Uniform as General of the United States army. 

Fifteen buttons cut from coats during the war by Mrs.5 
Grant after various battles. 

Hat ornaments used at Belmont and Fort Donelson. 

Shoulder-straps (Brigadier-General), worn by General 
Grant at Belmont, Fort Donelson and Shiloh, and straps 
of Lieutenant-General, cut from the coat used by General 
Grant in the campaigns against Richmond, Petersburg; 
and Lee's army. 

Medal (gold) from the American Congress for opening 
the Mississippi. 

Gold medal from Philadelphia. 

Forty-five medals in gold, silver and bronze. 

Silk papers printed for General Grant. 

Collection of coins, Japanese. This is the only com- 
plete set, except one in the Japanese Treasury. Seven i 
of these pieces cost $5,000. Presented by Ihe govern 
ment of Japan. 

Warrant as cadet at West Point and army commissions ] 
from Brevet Second Lieutenant to that of General. 

Papers and mementoes, comprising addresses, honorary 
society commissions and resolutions of respect, as well as 
the freedom of cities presented abroad. 

Just at this time there came one ray of sunshine to 
break the dark shadows. Congress, animated by the 
sentiment that pulsed through the public heart, took 
action on the question of the General's restoration to the 
army list. Several attempts had previously been made to 
place General Grant upon the retired list, but they were 
not successful owing to personal and party jealousies that 
reigned supreme so long as Grant was prosperous. The 
hour of his misfortune disarmed his enemies. The record 
of Congress shows how the bill was finally passed : 



i 



FINANCIAL TEOUBLES. rm 

Washington, March 4. — Mr. Randall asked unanimous 
consent to take from the Speaker's table and pass the 
iGrant retirement bill. [Applause.] 

I Mr. Bennett, of North Carolina, and Mr. Weller, of 
Iowa, objected. 

I Mr. Randall then moved to suspend the rules and 
Iplace the bill on its passage, but the Speaker ruled the 
motion was not in order, pending a decision of the elec- 
tion case. 

Mr. Randall then endeavored to secure his point by 
movmg to suspend the rules and lay the election case on 
the table, but the Speaker decided this was equally out 
of order. 

The confusion and excitement in the chamber was in- 
tense. Dozens of members were on their feet demanding 
recognition, but above the babel of voices rang out Ran- 
dall's voice appealing to Mr. Bennett, of North Carolina, 
to withdraw the election case. Finally, when he could 
be heard, Mr. Bennett said that if the house would con- 
sent to vote on the Fredericks- Wilson case, all objection 
to Mr. Randall's motion would be withdrawn. 

This declaration was greeted by a storm of consents 
from the Republican side, and the confusion was so great 
that it required five minutes' diligent work by the ser- 
geant-at-arms with his mace in hand before comparative 
order was restored. 

Then Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, contesting in the election 
case, rose, and amid a storm of cheers on the Republican 
side, said that if the house would put General Grant on 
the retired list, he was willing to be sacrificed. 

Mr. Miller, of Pennsylvania, who has been leading the 
filibustering against the election case, said that if the 
house would permit a vote on Mr. Randall's motion the 
opposition to the election case would be withdrawn. 



524 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

This was greeted by shouts of objection from the Demo 
cratic side, and Mr. Randall, rushing down to the space 
in front of the clerk's desk, cried out, '^ Don't let anything, 
stand ni the way. Agree to anything." 

" Then," said Mr. Miller, " in order that there may be no 
excuse, I withdraw and permit a vote on the proposition! 
of the gentleman from North Carolina, and I ask the 
house to treat us fairly on both votes." 

After another scene of confusion, Mr. Bennett de- 
manded the previous question on the resolution of thei 
committee on elections declaring Fredericks entitled to 
the seat. 

The resolution was adopted without any oppositioni 
from the Republican side, and instantly upon Fredericks 
taking the oath of office, Mr. Randall was on his feet with 
his motion to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill 
for the retirement of General Grant, without specifically 
naming him. | 

McMillen demanded a -second, while shouts of 
^' Shame," and "Oh, don't go back on your word," and 
" That's fair," went up. Nearly every member was on ' 
his feet, adding to the tumult, and prominent among 
them wore Cassidy and Robertson, of Kentucky, demand- 
ing fair play. Again did the services of the sergeant-at- 
arnis and his mace become necessary to seat the members, 
and then, a second having been considered as ordered, 
McMillen, Stockslager and Watson briefly opposed the 
bill as inaugurating a system of civil pensions, 

Mr, Randall, who, under the rules, was entitled to 
fifteen minutes debate, waived the right, and the yeas 
and nays were immediately taken on the motion to 
suspend the rules and pass the bill. When the name 
of Mr. Fredericks, the newly-seated member was called, 
he arose and voted in the affirmative, and the friends of 



FINANCIAL TROUBLES. 625 

the bill treated him to a round of applause. The motion 
to suspend the rules and pass the bill was agreed to — yeas 
108, nays 78. 

The announcement of the result was hailed with three 
cheers, and with long and continued applause. 

Mr. Skinner asked unanimous consent that the Speaker 
be authorized to send a telegraphic dispatch to General 
Grant announcing to him the result. At first objection 
, was made by Mr. Cobbe, but it was subsequently with- 
drawn, and the Speaker was authorized to send the des- 
patch as proposed. 

Mr. Randall was warmly congratulated on his success 
by a number of members on both sides of the house. 

On motion of Mr. Morrill the Chair appointed a com- 
mittee ot two Senators to act with such committee as the 
house may appoint to notify the President of the United 
Statec that Congress, having finished its business, was now 
ready to adjourn. 

The Senators appointed were Messrs. Morrill and Har- 
ris. At 11.35 a messenger from the house announced the 
passage of a bill authorizing the President to place one 
person on the retired list of the army. [Applause.] The 
bill was read at length. 

Mr. Ingalls then said : " Mr. President, the Nation 
knows who that one person is. I ask unanimous consent 
that the reference of this bill to the committee be waived, 
and that it be now considered by the Senate." 

The presiding officer (Mr. Garland), stated the bill was 
a Senate bill, and nothing further was necessary to make 
it a law, except the proper signatures. [Applause.] 

Mr. Edmunds, resuming the chair, stated he had re- 
ceived a communication which would now be read. He 
handed the communication to Chief Clerk Jolin.son, who 
read as follows : 



526 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

To the Hon. George F. Edmunds, President pro tempore United States 
Senate : The accompanying communication, although an executive 
message, may be read in open session. 

Chester A. Arthur. 

[Applause.] 

The President pro tempore of the Senate. — Manifesta- 
tions of applause are not in order. 
The clerk read as follows : 

Executive Mansion, March ith, 1885. 
To the Senate of the United States : I nominate Ulysses S. Grant,, 
formerly commanding the armies of the United States, to be Gen- 
eral on the retired list of the army, with the full pay of such rank. 

Chester A. Arthur. 

The president pro tem. of the Senate then announced 
that the nomination would be considered in open session. 
" The question now is. Will the Senate advise and consent 
to this appointment ? All Senators in favor will say aye. 
[A storm of ayes.] All opposed, no. [Dead silence.] 
The ayes have it unanimously." 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

grant's desperate illness — HOW THE DISEASE DEVELOPED 

HIS TROUBLE A CANCER IN THE THROAT THE Vl(;iLS 

OF THE DOCTORS AND A HISTORY OF THE CASE THE 

HERO IS BAPTIZED THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE HOW 

HE WAS WATCHED AND TENDED THE REMOVAL TO 

MOUNT MCGREGOR-DEATH-SYMPATHY OF THE WORLD. 

The course of our story brings us now to its painful 
close; to the weary days of watching beside a sufferer 
who is so close to the shore of the endless river that he 
longs to cross its silent tide and enter the peace of the lii'e 
beyond. 

Stonewall Jackson, weary, weak and dying, said to his 
surviving friends, " Let us cross over the river and rest 
beneath the trees." Grant often, in the hour of his agony, 
wished for the same peace — a peace that a brave man 
longs for. That he should so wish is easily understood 
when the reader remembers that in all Grant's long 
career he was a stranger to sickness. The ills and terrors 
of war, the thousand bodily dangers to which a com- 
mander is subjected, never seemed to harm him; he came 
out of it all unscathed. 

How his terrible disease came about is thus related by 
a member of his family: "Early last autumn, 1884, 
General Grant was visiting at the house of Mr. George 
W. Childs, at Long Branch, and with his family and 
friends was sitting on the piazza one bright afternoon. 
In the course of conversation the General said : '1 ate a 

(527) 



528 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

peach the other day, and ever since I have had a sore 
throat.' Thereupon he coughed considerably, and Mr. 
Childs suggested that he should allow Dr. Da Costa, of 
Philadelphia, who was also visiting at the house, to 
examine his throat. The doctor did so, and decided in 
his own mind at that time that the case was one of epi- 
thelioma. He at once advised the General to see his 
family physician as soon as he arrived in New York. 

" ' Who is your family physician ? ' asked Dr. Da 
Costa. 

" ' Dr Fordyce Barker,* answered the General. 

" 'Ah ! I am glad to hear that ; you could not be in 
better hands," replied the doctor. 

" The General's throat continued to get sorer, and trou- 
bled him not a little. When he returned to New York 
he called upon Dr. Barker and asked him to look at it, 
which the doctor did, and after prescribing for him, asked 
him to call upon Dr. J. H. Douglas, of Twenty-sixth 
street. 

" In a few days the General and Mrs. Grant called upon 
Dr. Douglas. This was early last October, and since 
that time the doctor has been his attending physician. 
Dr. Douglas is a specialist in throat diseases. 

''As far back as that time each of these physicians 
agreed that the General had epithelioma, or cancer of the 
throat." 

During the months of November, December and Janu- 
ary there was no appreciable change for the worse, except 
that one day the General would feel very well and the 
next day very much depressed. About the middle of 
February an alarming change was noticed. 

Drs. Barker and Douglas, being unwilling to shoulder 
the entire responsibility of such an important case, decided 
to call some one else in. Dr. Barker had met in consulta- 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 629 

tion a few days before, in another case, Dr. Markoo; Dr. 
Douglas, in a similar way, had met Dr. Sands, and it 
was agreed to ask these two physicians to come in. 

On the 19th of February all four physicians met at the 
residence of General Grant and looked at his tlu'oat. 
They also decided that the case was epithelioma. The 
result of this consultation was suppressed until February 
22d, when the newspapers gave a full account of it. 
Previously Drs. Elliott and Satterthwaite had examined 
pieces of the throat under a microscojDe, and they, too, had 
decided that the case was epithelioma. 

The next consultation was held on March 8th. Dr. Mar- 
koe did not attend this consultation, but Dr. George F. 
Shrady was substituted in his place. His opinion coin- 
cided with that of the others. As the case went on, Drs. 
Barker and Sands attended only in consultation, the actual 
work devolving upon Drs. Douglas and Shrady. In a few 
days the General grew much worse. Besides the large 
ulcer in the throat, his system generally became very 
much depressed and wasted. 

By this time the whole nation watched by the bed of 
the sufterer. The world was aware that it must lose its 
great General, and the waiting millions held their breath. 
The medical diagnosis of his disease at this time — which 
will interest our medical readers — is thus given b\- Dr. 
Shrady, on May 7th: 

" The condition still involves the right and posterior parts 
of the pharynx, the right tonsillar region and the right 
side of the base of the tongue. The palatal curtain is 
still considerably infiltrated, although all signs of acute 
inflammatory trouble have disappeared. At the base of 
the uvula, on the right side, a small fungoid excrescence 
has developed, which has shown a disposition to extend. 

" On the free margin of the palatal curtain, midway 



530 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

between the uvula and right tonsillar region, a similar 
growth of very small size has also appeared. The ulcera- 
tion at the base of the right anterior faucial pillar, and 
alongside of the tongue, presents a worm-eaten surface, 
indicating an extension of the destructive process. The 
breathing is free and the voice is clear, but the movements 
of the tongue are somewhat restricted, affecting articula- 
tion accordingly. The enlarged glands under and around 
the right angle of the lower jaw are somewhat harder, 
and, in consequence of surrounding inflammatory infiltra- 
tion, are quite firmly fixed. There is, however, less pain 
in the diseased parts than formerly, and the secretion of 
mucus is less abundant. The patient obtains a full 
night's sleep with a minimum amount of morphine, and 
awakes in the morning feeling much refreshed." 

The doctors, when this diagnosis was made, were firmly 
convinced that the disease was cancer of the tongue only, 
and all that they could do was to ease the General along 
until his inevitable death. They remained in the house 
day and night. At times the General gave up all hope. 
On that eventful evening when he was expected to die at 
any moment, the forms of all the newspapers were held 
in readiness to issue a special edition. There were in the 
house Drs. Shrady and Douglas. The family were up all 
night, and with them were Dr. Newman and General 
Badeau. General Grant was very low, and in the early 
morning had an alarming hemorrhage. The family were 
gathered around him, every member crying. The Gen- 
eral reclined in one chair, with his pillow behind him, 
and rested his feet on another chair. Dr. Shrady was 
sleeping in another room. In rushed Dr. Douglas and 
roused him with the words, " It's all over." 

" What ! " said Shrady, " do you mean to say that the 
man is dead ? " 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 631 

" No ; not dead, but he will be in a lew minutes. Notii- 
ing can save him." 

Dr. Shrady jumped up and ran into the room wliere tlie 
General was. Mrs. Grant, weeping, reached out her hand 
and said : " Ulysses, do you know me ? " 

The General's chin was resting upon his breast. He 
slowly raised his head and said : " Yes." 

Dr. Newman exclaimed : " It is all over ; I will baptize 
him." He went quickly into another room, got a silver 
bowl, filled it with water, came back, dipped his iiand 
into it, and said : " I baptize thee, Ulysses Simpson 
Grant, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." 

The General slowly raised his head and remarked : 
" I thank you." Then, turning to his family, he raised 
one hand and uttered the words : " I bless you all." 

To Dr. Newman he observed : " Doctor, I intended to 
attend to this myself" 

Meanwhile Drs. Shrady and Douglas were consulting 
with each other in the corner. The strain was intense. 

Dr. Douglas said : " He will die sure. He has gone ; 
the pulse has left the wrist." 

Dr. Shrady, as if struck by inspiration, replied : " I will 
give him brandy." 

" You cannot do it ; he cannot swallow." s:iid Dr. 
Douglas. 

" I will give it hypodermically," answered Dr. Shrady. 

" How much ? " asked Dr. Douglas. 

" A barrelful if necessary," retorted Dr. Shrady. 

Dr. Shrady rushed into another room. " Harrison," 
«aid he to the man-servant, "have you any brandy?" 
Harrison answered " Yes," and handed him some. Dr. 
Shrady rushed back and gave Grant a syringeful in each 
arm. The General revived, the pulse returned to his 
wrist, and his life, for the time, was saved. 



532 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The manifestations of interest in the dying hero were 
world-wide and profound. Kings and queens and empe- 
rors, ambassadors and ministers, senators and congress- 
men, judges and divines, soldiers and citizens, o;rown 
people and children, every one everywhere expressed their 
tender sympathy for the dying hero. Notably so on the 
occasion of his sixty-third birthday — April 27th. Early 
in the morning his neighbors showed their gratitude that 
the old hero's life had been spared by throwing their 
country's flag to the breeze. Telegrams and letters of 
congratulation began to pour in on the General from all 
parts of the country. Soon after he arose and continued 
up throughout the day. By noon Fred Grant had an- 
swered nearly two hundred and fifty inquiries from people 
in this city and elsewhere. Messenger boys, with huge 
boxes or bouquets of flowers, darted in and out, and many 
ladies drove up in their carriages and handed in their 
floral tributes themselves. It was a day of joy in the 
Grant household, and the patient himself was the happiest 
of all. Birthday cards were sent by the basketful, of the 
most expensive and costly finish, from all over the United 
States, several of which were most unique. General 
Grant sent the following for publication : 

" To the various army Posts, societies, cities, public 
schools. States, corporations and individuals, North and 
South, who have been so kind as to send me congratula- 
tions on my sixty-third birthday, I wish to offer my grate- 
ful acknowledgments. The despatches have been so 
numerous and so touching in tone that it would have 
been impossible to answer them if I had been in perfect 
health." 

As the hot weather of summer approached it became a 
question of where to take the patient. The General's 
preferences were for the seaside ; his doctors' orders for 










TEKDEli CARE OF THE DYING IlEKO. 



533 



534 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

mountain air. Mr. Joseph W. Drexel, a wealthy New 
Yorker, owned a very pleasant summer residence on 
Mount McGregor, not far from Saratoga. This residence 
was tendered General Grant for his use, and on June 10th 
the patient was successfully moved. Every precaution 
was taken to render the journey safe and comfortable. 
Mr. Vanderbilt tendered the use of his private car and a 
special train. The train arrived at Mount McGregor at 
2 p. M. General Grant was unable to walk to the cbttage, 
he had suffered so much on the journey. When he 
reached the house his speech had utterly failed him, and 
though Dr. Douglas, who accompanied the sick man, con- 
sidered that he had borne up wonderfully well, he saw it 
was an effort of will, not a result of physical strength. 

The change was well planned, for the patient soon 
began to improve and to gain somewhat on the disease. 
For a couple of weeks after General Grant was removed 
to Mount McGregor the bulletins issued from there were 
of a reassuring character. The general sympathies of the 
masses were gratified in the hope that perhaps the sufferer 
would get well. It was not to be. The Angel of Death 
was a patient watcher beside that soldier's bed. 

A premonition of the end came on the 22d of July. 
The special correspondents who for weeks had maintained 
their ceaseless death-watch, on that morning telegraphed 
as follows : 

"General Grant is dying. There has been an alarming 
change for the worse in his condition, and death may come 
at any moment. The physician in charge will be sur- 
prised if the General should live more than a day longer. 
The General slept a good portion of Monday night from 
sheer exhaustion. He began the day feeling very weak. 
He was nervous and at times lost consciousness. He 
•could retain but little liquid nourishment. Throughout 



11 



SICKXESS AND DEATH. .V..t 

the day he seemed to grow weaker, and when iii^lit set- 
tled down upon the mountains there wa.s no one in the 
cottage who did not reahze that the end was near. 'J'lie 
famil}- gathered about the sick man. The}- feared at one 
time that he might not live out the night, hut a shght 
rally for the better gave promise that he might see the 
light of another day. Dr. Douglas has telegraphed all the 
absent memljers of General Grant's family that if they 
wish to see the General alive tliey nmst come imniediatelv, 
as he does not think life can be prolonged hiter tliaii 
Wednesday evening. The doctor has also summoned 
all the other physicians to come at once to Mount Mc- 
Gregor." 

Though the General was greatly exhausted by the jolt- 
ing ride in his Bath chair on Monday afternoon, it v.aa 
beheved yesterday morning that the eight hours of natural 
gleep obtained the night before had restored a portion uf 
the energy lost during his outing. The belief that the Gen- 
eral bad in a measure recovered from his fatigue was su[)- 
ported by a refreshed and somewhat brighter appearance. 
His pulse had scai-cely the volume it had at eleven o'clock 
Monday night, and as the morning wore on the doctor 
thought he detected evidences of a feverish condition of 
the patient; but the forenoon was passing so quietly as 
to give strength to a belief that the General was resting 
and further recuperating from the fatigue of the outing, 
which had been uiidertaken at his solicitation, b^- liis ex- 
pressed desire and after an assurance by liiinself that liis 
strength was equal to the accomplishment of liis purpose. 
But towards noon there grew in the physician's mnnl :i 
I conviction, at the time unex^Dected, that the dozing 
quietude of his patient was more that of extreme and 
growing lassitude than of restful repose. 

At midday there was a slight change in the siek man's 
34 



5.S6 LIFE OF GEXERAL GRANT. 

condition, which was marked hy increased weakness and 
less cognizance of wliat was going on about him. Tliis 
change was so slightly marked, however, that no unusual 
alarm was felt hy the family, thougli it was deemed ad- 
visable to report the same to Dr. Douglas, who at the 
time was at the hotel. Accordingly Mr. Jesse Grant 
walked up to the slope to speak to the doctor, who then 
went down to the cottage. 

The General was less quiet, though he desired rest. He 
informed the physician that he had declined alcoholic 
stimulants because he believed thev served onlv to heat 
his sj-stem without imparting any strength. He expressed 
himself as feeling that he could endure his condition of 
weakness but a short time longer, and then requested the 
physician to administer a hypodermic injection of moi-- 
phine. Dr. Douglas was not much inclined to grant this 
request, because he believed that sleep and rest produced 
by artificial means would too rapidly drain the vitality of 
the patient. Besides this, a lethargic tendency was de- 
veloping in the case, which also influenced the doctor 
against giving morphine, and, more than tiiis. Dr. Doug- 
las preferred that his patient should take food rather than 
opiates, and requested the General to do so. 

The sick man, however, declined, and insisted on the 
administration of morphine. At length, to satisfy him. 
Dr. Douglas administered a portion of morphine, which 
General Grant believed to contain tliree minims of the 
drug. As a ftict, that quantity was not administered, but 
a slight portion diluted in the usual three drops of liquid 
was injected into the General's arm. Then the sick man 
grew quieter and seemed to sleep, and then it was that 
tlie physician left the cottage and reported his patient ex- 
ceedingly weak. 

The quietude, however, was not protracted. It has 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 



.531 



since been made known that the Geneial was attackccl 
yesterday forenoon with hiccough, and this disturbing and 
rapidly weakening, as well as significant factor, was presi-nt 
in the afternoon and with added frequency. The sleep 
which followed the giving of morphine, as stated, was 
followed hy renewed hiccoughing. Attempts were made 
as the afternoon was waning to give the General food. 
He joined in the endeavor, but the amount was sninll. 










THE COTTAGE AT MOUNT M'GREGOU. 

A half hour might elapse aijd again the sick man would 
ghmce up, as though having forgotten something he would 
have remembered, and ejaculate the question, " When 
are you going to give me the food you spoke of?" and 
when told that he had just received food, but that more 
would be given if desired, t4ie General would again fdl 
into a half-unconscious doze and mutter, " Never mind, 
never mind." 

The afternoon was sultry and almost breathless, with 
the thermometer registering as high as eighty-five de- 
grees. There were no reviving elements in the atmos- 



538 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

phere, and the sun went down after a day of stilling dis- 
comfort, even to persons in good health. The ex-Presi- 
dent remained in his room and was not dressed during the 
remainder of the day. lie did not move except, to rise 
when the pillows, kept constantly beneath him to prevent 
bed sores, were beaten up and aired. Several times he 
walked feebly to his cot in the sick room while his rest- 
ing-place was being thus aired and freshened. 

So the afternoon wore on, and at six o'clock Dr. Douglas 
went to the hotel to dinner. The Grant family were then 
dining. Rev. Dr. Newman came up the mountain on the 
train arriving at G.15 P. M. He joined the General's fam- 
ily at their table, and there Dr. Douglas reported the Gen- 
eral's condition. He said the patient was in a critical 
condition, and would hazard no prediction of the future — 
not even of the night. 

Dinner concluded. Dr. Newman and Dr, Douglas re- 
turned to the cottage. A light breeze had sprung up with 
the going down of the sun, and hope was expressed that 
the cooling air of the evening might revive the patient. 
Colonel Fred Grant had been at the cottage but a little 
while after his return from dinner, when he was said to 
have expressed the belief that his father would not sur- 
vive the night. The servants, as well as the l^imily, were 
conscious that a critical season was near, and suspense 
and illy-suppressed anxiety prevailed in and about the 
cottage. The critical condition of the patient was not 
generally known at the hotel, and merry groups of guests 
were scattered about the piazzas. 

Twilight settled down on the mountain and the electric 
lights Hashed up about the hotel grounds and in the cot- 
tage. Colonel Grant gave orders that all manuscripts and 
literary effects at the cottage office should be at once 
packed up and made safe, as no more work on the Gen- 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 539 

eral's meimoirs would probably be done there. Mrs. 
Grant, Mrs. Sartoris, Mr. Jesse Grant and wife, and Col- 
onel Grant's wife were sitting on the piazza or walking in 
and out of the cottage. Twilight was deepening into 
dusk when hurried movements were observed within the 
cottage. Servants flitted from room to room, and Colonel 
Fred Grant moved nervously about. Dr. Douglas was 
with the patient and family at alternate intervals, and 
some event seemed imminent. Ilenr}-, the nurse, was 
seen to wheel one of the General's large chairs from the 
sick room to the cottage parlor. Dr. Douglas and Colonel 
Grant soon supported the sick man from his apartment 
and settled him in the great chair that the nurse had 
cushioned with pillows. The General's face was turned 
towards the cottage door, through which, if he noted 
surroundings, he could have seen the brilliantly-lighted 
hotel as a vista through the native pine trees, that stood 
up dark and whispering with the evening breeze on the 
slope above the cottage. Mrs. Grant then took a place 
beside her husband and fanned him almost incessantly. 

Dr. Douglas, when questioned, said the General had 
been brought into the parlor so that he might benefit In- 
freer air; but though the sick man was coherent when he 
spoke in whispers, he spoke but little and was sinking 
surely. Members of the family passed througli tlie room 
and gathered at the doors and windows ; then were seated 
on the piazza, but for short periods, and then passed from 
room to room. The dusk had given way to daikness. 
•The General, seeming to take little note of occurrences 
about him, still sat with his face to the door, while the 
nurse and Mrs. Grant waved fans before his face. Critical 
moments were passing. 

Mrs. Grant whispered to Dr. Newman shortly before 
nine o'clock and asked him to offer prayer. The clergy- 



540 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

mfin knelt beside the General and offered prayer, while 
the family and the physician stood with bowed heads. It 
was an impressive scene. 

Dr. Newman remarked that the critical change was 
evident in the face finally. That had been last to show 
the nearness of the end and the eyes seemed larger and 
wore a wistful and changed expression. The intellect, 
however, remained supreme. 

At midnight the cottage was quiet, though the electric 
lights gleamed bright on the piazzas. 

For an hour the patient's pulse had been fluttering and 
weak, but soon after nine o'clock it steadied and grew a 
shade firmer. Then he lowered his feet and crossed his 
knees; next he raised his hand to his face and rested his 
cheek against it. Dr. Douglas was beside the man he 
had so long watched, and as these changes took place he 
glanced up significantly into the faces of the family 
grouped around the chair. Finally, as the hour of ten 
o'clock drew near. General Grant looked up and spoke to 
his daughter Nellie. Then he indicated a purpose to 
write and did so. There were instructions for his family. 
Handing one note to Colonel Fred, the General looked up 
into his face with large eyes that had in them a pitiful 
expression. 

" I have already attended to that, father," returned the 
colonel, as he bent over the General. 

The General addressed other members of the family. 
The pulse was growing steadier, and the night had passed 
beyond eleven o'clock, and a half hour later the sick man 
demonstrated that he was General to the last. The family 
were sitting on the piazza or standing near the windows and 
entrances. The General beckoned Dr. Douglas to his side. 

" Tell them all to go to bed," he whispered, and then 
added : '• There is no earthly use of sitting up longer." 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 541 

Dr. Douglas walked out on the piazza and delivered 
this message of command. It was obeyed by all except 
Colonel Grant, who remained during the night witli Dr. 
Douglas. Dr. Newman and Stenographer Dawson re- 
paired to the hotel and the various members ol" the llunily 
retired to their rooms in the cottaGfc. 

o 

At times the General received a hypodermic injectin of 
brandy. This brightened him. His pulse becatne quite 
regular and showed some firmness. He was awake and 
perfectly conscious. The rally, however, was made with- 
out any stimulants; indeed, he refused them when ollered. 

The day following, Thursday, July 23d, was to be the 
last on earth. The w^atching, patient correspondents thus 
described the scenes : 

" MocNT McGregor, July 23d, 9 a. m. 
"The early morning hours of yesterday at the Grant 
cottage were cool and refreshing. On the veranda, where 
the incandescent electric lamps were burning all night, 
the thermometer at two o'clock this morning marked 
seventy-two degrees. This was the equable temperature 
maintained in the sick-room while General Grant remained 
in New York, and to it was added this morning the sweet 
smell from the pine trees that bend over the cottage roof. 
A gentle breeze, soft and delicious, swept miles and miles 
down the valley and from the mountains. It stirred the 
curtains at the window near which sat the sick man, iind 
it fanned his face more gratefully than could the careful 
hands that were watching near. Between two and three 
o'clock this morning the gray tint of another day crept up 
the horizon beyond the Green Mountains. xVround the 
cottage all was quiet, except for the occasional twitter of 
a bird in the birches or pines. Occasionally Hemy, the 
nurse, walked out upon the piazza for fresher air and a 



542 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

glimpse of the night. Once, at nearly three o'clock, Mrs. 
Grant, attired in a loose gown of white, came out upon 
the veranda and seated herself in one of the many deserted 
willow chairs that were scattered in groups about the 
piazza. For ten minutes she sat motionless and gazed 
away to the east, where the gray tint of another day had 
grown to a fuller promise. Her face rested on her hand, 
and she was evidently wrapt in thought. 

" Suddenly there came the sound of coughing from 
within the cottage. The General was clearing his throat 
of mucus. Mrs. Grant left the piazza quickly and seated 
herself by the General's side, slowly fanning his face. 
The cou(]rhin2: was not severe. Colonel Fred Grant entered 
the room while the nurse was aidim? his father and took 
a seat at the side and behind the General. It was time 
to administer food. The nurse touched the shoulder of 
Dr. Douglas as he lay asleep on a couch in the same room. 
He arose fully dressed, as he was all night, and seated 
himself beside the patient. The food was given from a 
cup and the mouth and throat were cleared by the 
doctor. 

" It was nearly four o'clock and the gray of the east had 
changed to pale orange tints. AVhen the physician laid 
aside his appliances General Grant leaned forward in his 
chair and signified a desire that a lamp should be brought. 
The nurse brought a candle and held it at the sick man's 
shoulder, and at the moment the General turned his face 
toward the light and upward to bid the nurse bring his 
pad and pencil. His wish was not at the moment under- 
stood, and turning a trifle further the General repeated 
his wish. 

" The scene at this moment was a picture in shadows. 
As the flickering candle rays fell across the face of Gen- 
eral Grant it became a grim Rembrandt, with strong, 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. i548 

rugged lines broken down by suflering and p.-iin. On his 
head was the skidl cap that at all times lent a startling 
effect to his appearance, and from beneath it struggled 
the hair that clung in sweat-moistened locks about the 
emaciated neck. A crimson scarf had been thi'own over 
the back of the General's chair, but as he leaned forward 
it drew across his shoulders, one end being gatiiered uiidcr 
his arm. A dark dressing-gown covered the patient's 
attenuated form, and a handkerchief encircled his neck. 
The gray of the close-cut beard seemed white, and the 
lines on cheeks and forehead were deep indeed, and when 
the face was turned upward to speak the eyes seemed 
grayer, too, and abnormally larger. They w'ere clear and 
steady, showing that the General's reason was clearly at 
his command ; but there was that wistful and yearning 
expression in them that makes women weep and men 
grow sympathetic. The General's face as he spoke ap- 
peared strained and drawn, but its color and fulness were 
not such as would be expected after such suffering and 
care. The lips moved heavily and the whisper was husky 
and low, but the nurse understood and the pad and pencil 
were brought. Then, while the red light of the candle 
fell on his downcast face, he wrote, but only brielly. 

"The slip was handed to Dr. Douglas, who at once turned 
it over to Colonel Grant, who had arrived and stood beside 
his mother at the General's side. It was a private family 
communication, and when finished the sick man resumed 
his half-reclining position, with his head slightly inclined 
forward and his elbows on the sides of the chair, while 
the fingers of either hand were interlocked each with the 
other beneath his chin. 

" It was 4.30 A. M., and the peaks of the mountains 
eastward were darkly outlined against the reddening 
•dawn. The fiint glow crept between the pines and 



544 LIFE OF GE]S^ERAL GllANT. 

birches through the cottage windows and tinged the sick 
man's cheek with the dawn of what was believed by the 
doctors to be his Last day. At five o'clock Dr. Doughas 
M-as aroused to send a summons for Dr. Sands. It was 
sent onl}^ that the responsibility of the case at the close 
of the night should be shared by the members of the 
medical staff, and not with the thought that an}- aid could 
be rendered by any person at that time or through the 
opening day. 

" The General moved restlessly and his eyes for a few 
minutes gazed intently away through the trees, where a 
new day was beginning. Then he settled down in his 
chair and dozed." 

" As the morning advanced the General was given 
stimulants, but he grew weaker hour by liour. The 
morning was clear, and the mercur}^ registered 80 degrees 
at eleven o'clock. All visitors were kept from the cottage, 
and the quiet of a Sabbath day prevailed about the 
spot. Dr. Douglas and Rev. Dr. Newman remained with 
the family, and the morning was one of quiet waiting. 
The General sat as he did last night. His eyes were 
closed most of the time, but his mind was clear whenever 
he spoke. The only one necessary to make the family 
complete was U. S. Grant, Jr., who had been telegraphed 
to last night. The doors of the General's room were shut 
and the blinds closed, but the cool breeze of the early 
afternoon found a passage through the blinds. At 2.15 
o'clock the members of the family and Dr. Newman were 
grouped in the darkened room near General Grant. Ob- 
serving their evidences of feeling, the General said : * I 
do not want anybody to be distressed on my account.' 

" A singular occurrence at the cottage was related by 
Dr. Newman as taking'place at one o'clock. At five min- 
utes of one the General asked the hour of the day. 



SICKNESS AND DKATII. 645 

"'One o'clock,' spoke one of tlioso near tlic Clcncral. 
Soon afterward the cottage clock chimed twelve strokes, 
and the General counted them. Then he wrote on his 
pad that he observed the clock was wrong, ajid indicatecl 
a desire to have it struck to the right hour, wliich was 
done, and the incident passed as one more of the remark- 
able episodes of the General's later sickness, 

"Dr. Sands and Dr. Shrady arrived at quarter past tlireo 
o'clock, on a special train, -svliich also brought U. S. Grant, 
Jr., and his wife. The new-comers retired at once to the 
cottage, when the phj-sicians met immediately with Dr. 
Doudas in consultation. Having left the cottage, it was 
stated that Drs. Shrady and Sands had found General 
Grant in the critically low condition already stated by 
Dr. Douglas. No one of the staff was willing to make 
any prediction beyond twenty-four hours, whicli period it 
was then deemed possible that the General miglit survive. 
The doctors found the pulse to be 100 beats a minute. 
The pulse was said, unofficially, to have been as high as 
130 degrees. 

" The development of weakness during the afternoon 
was not particularly noticeable from hou;' to hour, but 
between three o'clock and six o'clock there was a clearly, 
if not violently, marked increase of weakness. At tliree 
o'clock it was possible to measure the pulse beats, but at 
six o'clock one of the physicians stated that the pulse 
could not be counted. There were two reasons existent 
for the inability of the doctors to catch tlie pulse l)eats— 
they were so frequent and so feeble. During the at'ter- 
noon the blood-tide had so quickened that it more rapidly 
wore the system and exhausted the frail ))asis. if any 
existed, upon which might be placed a hope that the 
General would rally. The point was reached at six 
o'clock, when there was little to be exf>c^cted frotn at- 



546 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

tempts to administer food. Soon after six o'clock Har- 
rison came up from the cottage and told Drs. Sands and 
Shrady that Dr. Douglas desired to see them at the cot- 
tage. Thither went the doctors. They remained, how- 
ever, but a short time. While the temperature of General 
Grant was nearly, if not quite, normal, the respirations 
were nearly thirty per minute. The family, beginning 
at six o'clock, came to the hotel to dinner in twos, the 
others remaining at the cottage. The family dined in a 
private room set apart for their use at the hotel, in order 
that sit this critical time they might be secluded from the 
curious. The closed and silent cottage had all day sug- 
gested the enactment of the last scene in General Grant's 
earthly existence. 

" While the physicians were at dinner Harrison came to 
the hotel and called Dr. Douglas, who went at once and 
alone to the cottage. Soon afterward another messenger 
summoned Drs. Shrady and Sands, and they repaired to 
the cottage, closely followed by Rev. Dr. Newman. The 
exits of the doctors and clergyman from the hotel were, 
however, so quietly effected that few knew that they had 
been summoned to the cottage. After arriving there they 
found General Grant again evidently sinking. The Gen- 
eral seemed restless. 

" ' Would you like to lie down, father?' asked Colonel 
Fred Grant, who noticed his father's restlessness. 

" The General nodded and at the same moment tried to 
rise unassisted, but the effort was too great and he sank 
back into the chair, and the colonel and nurse aided him 
to arise and then supported him to the bed, where he was 
carefully lowered to a reclining position and partly on his 
face. Dr. Douglas then rolled the chair back, and one of 
the phj^sicians remarked that the General had now left 
his chair for the last time. The belief was that General 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 647 

Grant had at length Liin down to die. Tlio family were 
all gathered around the sick man, and ajrain Dr. New- 
man, at about the same hour as last night, and ;;t .Mrs. 
Grant's request, knelt beside the General and })ra3ed. 
Heads were bow^d and tears were on the cheeks of men 
as well as of women. 

"As the sun went down a cool breeze, as last night, 
sprang up, and all thought that the cool night would 
help General Grant to rally. The doctors, however, were 
prepared to attend the General's death-bed at a moment's 
notice. The doctors stood somewhat apart, and the 
family was near its fast-sinking head, and then, after an 
hour, death seemed a little less rapidly gaining on the 
man it had pursued just nine months to-day, for it w:\sjust 
nine months ago to-day that General Grant walked into 
Dr. Douglas' office to seek his professional aid for the 
cancer that has done what war could not do. Then the 
doctors and clergyman strolled out upon the piazza and 
sat near the parlor window, and Jesse Grant joined them 
at times ; but the other members of the fomily remained 
in the sick-room and watched and w^aited, while the Gen- 
eral answered 'yes' and 'no' to several questions. 

" Time there passed slowly indeed, and at length, at 
8.15 o'clock, Dr. Douglas left the cottage. 

" ' How is it, doctor?' w^as asked him. 

" ' He is dying,' said the gray-haired physician. 

" ' Will he live an hour ? ' was asked again. 

" ' Oh, yes, and possibly more, but he is passing away/ 
was the response; and, after a little time at the hotel, 
Dr. Douglas returned to the cottage. 

"At nine o'clock the General's pulse had reacluMl the 
point of 165 beats to the minute and was {jiittering. 
About nine o'clock General Grant sank into a sleep 
that was described by a witness as the peacrfnl and 



548 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

beautiful sleep of ii cliikl. This condition, however, was 
not one to command confidence, for the pulse beats were 
still rapidly fluttering, and the respiration, which nor- 
mally is fourteen to the minute, was now forty-four. At 
10.30, however, it was stated by reliable authority that 
the General was in slightly better condition than two 
hours before, and quieter, but as against any hopeful in- 
ference that might be drawn from this fact was the other 
fact that from this condition, which bordered upon the 
lethargic state, the patient might quietly drift into final 
unconsciousness. 

" During the evening the extremities of the sick man 
had been cold, and in the visible symptoms were the 
signs that nature puts out when death is chilling the 
powers. The General, as the night passed, seemed to be 
suffering no pain, though the lines of his face were 
drawn and the furrows of the brow were knitted as he 
lay upon the cot, beside which the family were constantly 
watching. 

" At eleven o'clock the General was not asleep. The 
hands and forearms were colder than two hours before, 
but the feet not so nmch so. The pulse and respiration 
had not changed. The patient's mind was yet clear and 
comprehensive of events and utterances about him. Be- 
tween ten and eleven o'clock Dr. Shrady had accosted the 
General, and he answered in a husky voice and promptly. 
Siinudants were being used sparingly. There was ex- 
pressed by medical authority about eleven o'clock a belief 
that the closing crisis might occur either at one or four 
o'clock in the morning. 

"At midnight General Grant remained quiet, though 
he was not asleep, the coming hour being looked for with 
great anxiety. 

" Bottles of hot water were placed at the General'^ 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 549 

feet to induce warmth, uiul mustard ijlastcrs wore apnlicd 
[over the stomach and breast to preserve the Ihigt^Mii-: 
circulation. 

'' 1 A. M. — General Grant remains in the same condi- 
tion. Pulse and respiration are unchanged, and tlKM-u is 
a feeling that he may tide over the weakness until 
4 A. M. Hypodermics of brandy are being usimI. 

'' 2 A. M. — The family is astir at the cottage, tijough 
there are no visible indications that point to other cmdi- 
tions than at the time of the last bulletin. 

"3 A. M. — General Grant is in a somnolent condition. 
The respirations have grown shallow and the General is 
no longer able to expectorate, because of weakness, which 
is increasing. There seems little possibility that the 
patient will survive the night. 

"4 A. M. — The respirations are fifty, the pulse so rai)id 
as not to be counted, and hypodermics, which have been 
quite freely administered through the night, have no 
longer any marked effect. The family are still astir. 

''At six o'clock the ladies of the family were seated on 
the veranda wdth Drs. Douglas and Shrady. Dr. New- 
man paced up and down the paths about the cottage. 
Through the open door and windows the quick breatiiing 
of the General was distinctly audible. Dr. Douglas came 
out, but could give no suggestion of adefniite limit ot the 
General's life. 

" ' His brain, his heart and his lungs are alive, and that 
is all I can say of either or all,' said the doctor. 

" With the coming of lidit the doctors urged the fauiily 
so strongly to take some rest, telling theui that they 
would be called in case of a crisis, that they reluctantly 
complied. Dr. Sands had gone to the hotel at eight 
o'clock the evening before, and took no share ui tht- vigil. 
Drs. Shrady and Douglas were M\ on the watch, with 



550 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the assistance of Henry, the nurse. At about five o'clock 
Dr. Douglas walked up to the lawn in front of the hotel 
and stood for a few moments admiring the beautiful sun- 
rise that was bringing out into sharp relief the peaks and 
shoulders of the distant eastern hills. He soon joined 
Dr. Shrady again. Dr. Newman came up to the hotel 
also about half an hour after, and remained ten or fifteen 
minutes. He said the General was dying by inches, just 
as Dr. Dousflas had said a few minutes before. Dr. New- 
man then returned and paced slowly up and down before 
the cottage for half an hour, while Drs. Douglas and 
Shrady sat on the veranda. Henry was in the sick room, 
never taking his eyes off the dying man. Occasionally 
he applied to the General's lips a cambric wet with cool 
water, as had been done at intervals durins; the niiiht. 
The lips moved in response to the touch, but it was only 
mechanical. 

" The doctors were seated on the porch at 7.45, when 
Henry, the nurse, came out and summoned them to the 
bedside of the dying man. All the family were in the 
room at the time, excepting the grandchildren, who were 
asleep in the nursery. Mrs. Grant was by the General's 
side, looking; into his face. Mrs. Sartoris was immedi- 
ately behind her mother, looking over her shoulder. 
Colonel Fred Grant was at the head of the bed. 

" On the opposite side of the bed from his mother, and 
directly before her, stood Jesse Grant and U. S. Grant, 
Jr., and near the corner of the cot, on the same side as 
Jesse, and near to each, was Mr. N. E. Dawson, the Gen- 
eral's confidential secretary. At the foot of the bed, and 
gazing directly down into the Genenil's fice, were Mrs. 
Fred Grant, Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr., and Mrs. Jesse Grant, 
while somewhat removed from the family circle were 
Henry, the nurse, and Harrison Tyrrel, the General's body 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. r^l 

servant. Dr. Newman had gone to the hotel to hn-ak- 
fiist, and was not present. Mrs. Grant controlled Iins.lf 
remark abl3^ 

"The doctors noted that already the purplish tin,ize whicii 
is a signal of final dissolution had settled beneath the 
patient's finger nails. The hand that Dr. Douglas lifted 
was fast growing cold. The pulse had llutteretl heyond 
the point where the physician could distinguish it from 
the pulse beats in his own finger tips. The respii-ation 
was very rapid, but so weak that its painful sound was 
gone, and it was scarcely audible at all. 

" Mrs. Grant almost constantly stroked the face, forehead, 
and hands of the dying General, and at times pressed both 
his hands, and, leaning forward, kissed his face. 

"Thus twenty minutes or so passed, the General lying 
with his eyes closed. Mrs. Sartoris eagerly sought to bo 
recognized by her dying father. At last he opened his 
eyes and they met those of his daughter. Hers was the 
last face he saw. In a moment more the tense and weary 
look went out of his face, his eyes closed, and with one 
faint breath his life left him. The watchers waited for 
another breath in a silence so complete that the singing 
of the birds outside the cottage sounded loud and clear. 
The doctors in a low voice announced that the end had 
come, and they withdrew. The nurse closed down the 
dead man's eyelids, and the family group pressed to the 
bedside, one after the other, and touched their li[)s u[>on 
the quiet face." 

Being dead, let us think an instant of the man and his 
career. Colonel McClure, the editor of the Philadelphia 
Times, and the man who, with Andrew Curtin, led the 
Liberal Republican movement in Pennsylvania in IS « 2, 
thus ably sums him up : 

"Ulysses S. Grant is dead. 

35 



.r,2 LIFE OF GENEKAL GRANT. 

" The shadows of his distressing malady were visible on 
every side, as they called up the echoes of the universal 
sorrow of his countrymen; and in the lands of strangers. 
of every civilization and clime there were sincere re- 
sponses of sympatliy and homage as the light of his great 
life flickered fitfully in the socket, lie had fullv outlived 
the asperities which distinction provokes, and the errors 
of his own career, the common inheritance of even the 
wisest, had been as freely forgotten by the world as they 
had been frankly regretted by himself While eminent 
usefulness could have resulted for yet many j-ears from 
such a life, so ripened in honors and experience, his great 
work was accomplished and he left nothing unfinished ; 
and the profound devotion of the nation that noted with 
ceaseless anxiety the ebb and flow of the life currents in 
the battle with disease, sorrowed as it saw the end at 
hand, and yet sorrowfully welcomed the end when it 
came. It was the only relief from the terrible malady 
that mingled no ray of hope with its fearful agonies, and 
death was peace, 

" In all the more than century of American greatness, 
no man has more impressed his individuality upon the 
country and the world than has General Grant. AYa'sh- 
ington was wiser than Grant; Jefierson was vastly abler 
and more philosophical; Jackson was more despotic and 
3'et more the man of sentiment; Lincoln was more saga- 
cious, more patient and more tolerant, and Garfield was 
more scholarlj^ and broader in statesmanship; but no one 
man of our history so distinctively emphasized his indi- 
viduality in war and in peace, in the field and in states- 
manship, as did General Grant. He had none of the 
ornate characteristics of Clay ; none of the ostentation of 
Scott ; none of the impetuous qualities of Sherman. 
What he was, he was of himself and by himself; a self 



SICKXESS AND DEATIL 

creation whoso history puzzles the reckoning of the world 
imcl makes romance pale before it. Tlic thoughtless would 
scan the surface of his record, from the multiplied ill- 
fortune of early life to the highest stepping in the round 
of fame, and call it accident; but accidents buih] no such 
structures of imperishable renown. 

"A new and supreme occasion came npon the Tiepublic 
a quarter of a century ago, and it presented new and 
entirely exceptional duties. The country turned to those 
who had gathered its greenest chaplets in heroism and 
trusted them ; but one by one they fell by the wayside 
in attempting the full measure of their calling. The 
Chieftain of two wars, the acknowledged Captain of the 
Age, was dw\arfed into pitiable failure, and the fame of 
Scott was dimmed in its long-unrivalled lustre by the sad 
story of Manassas. McClellan came as the heralded 
Young Napoleon, and the country gave him unbounded 
trust and homage ; but his star flxded in bitter parti^nm 
strife on the Peninsula, and he redeemed at Antietam the 
disgraceful bombast and failure of Pope, without making 
himself the master that only an indispensable leader could 
achieve. Ilalleck, esteemed the ablest soldier of the land, 
the trained strategist and standard authority in the science 
of war, rose over McClellan only to fade out in forgetful- 
ness. The Army of the Potomac, justly pronounced by 
one of its commanders 'the finest on the phuiet.' worshij)- 
ped chieftain after chieftain, but the names of McDowell, 
McClellan, Pope, Burnside and Iloolver repeated the same 
lesson of disappointment, and even the historic field ol 
Gettysburg, althouo-h the death-blow of rebellion, liiiled 
I to grasp the sceptre of supreme connnand for its victor. 

"It was after these bitter pages had been written in 
the history of the war that the country turned to one who 
had escaped partisan complications by golden silence, and 



554 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

who bad fought and fought; who even when blunderinol 
fought again, and when defeated fought with greater des^ 
peration. He had wooed ficl^le fortune in multipHed faili! 
ures, and until fortj winters had fled with the vigor oft 
his youth, he had no past that ranked him above the com-i 
nion of the commonplace of his callings, either as soldier 
or civilian. He was the cheaply-employed assistant in a 
Galena tannery when rebellion sounded the call to fraternal' 
conflict. He njarched to the capital of his State at the 
head of a company of volunteers, was long denied his' 
coveted colonelcy, and in four brief years he coinmanded 
more men, fought more battles and won more decisive 
victories than any warrior of modern history. His first! 
failure at Belmont caused no surprise, but as he electrified i 
the country by the victories of Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, 
and Nashville, his name and his stubborn qualities and 
tireless energies as a commander won him the enthusiastic 
homage of the people. Shiloh clouded his fiime for a i 
season, and but for his one distinguisliing characteristic as 
a persistent and never-whipped fighter, Shiloh would have 
been to Grant what Manassas was to McDowell, the Pen- 
insula to McClellan, the second Manassas to Pope, Fred- 
ericksburg to Burnside and Chancellorsville to Plooker. 
'I cannot spare this man ; he fights,' was the answer of 
Abraham Lincoln when the people, the press and Congress ■ 
clamored for his dismissal after Shiloh, and that one 
quality made him the man for the new occasion and the 
new duties that had broken a score of embryo chieftains 
on the wheel of cruel fate, 

" The stubborn struggle for Vicksburg ; the heroic 
strategy of the whirl through Jackson to make the surer 
investment of the city ; its capture on the natal day of 
the Republic that also recorded the memorable retreat of 
Lee from Gettysburg, and the later conflict of Lookout 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. .V>-j 

[Mountain fought abov^e the clouds, made the hleedin;.' and 
sorrowing nation turn to General Grant as with one voice 
to be its leader of leaders, and he obeyed the call to hi.i'ki' 
the thrilling history of the Wilderness and the battles ou 
ithe James. ' I propose to move innnediately uj)on y<Mir 
works' was his notice to the commander of Fort Doiul- 
gon, when quibbling over the terms of" surrender; and "I 
propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all suunner' 
was ihe eloquent echo of his indomitable prowess that 
came up from the flame and tempest of the sanguinary 
conflict of the Wilderness. He was then the ci^uutry'.s 
commander, and unfaltering popular trust followed him in 
his bloody march from the Rapidan to Petersburg. Mili- 
tary critics questioned his methods and disputed his 
strategy, but the nation took no pause in its unijualili* d 
faith in its chosen chieftain. He might err; but he was 
wisest, safest, best to attain the grand consunnnation ; 
treasure, lives and faith answered to his will, and in the 
fulness of time, the terrible reapers in the harvest of 
death rested at Ap^wmattox. There, liero of heroes iu 
war, he was equally hero of heroes in peace, and the con- 
quered insurg-ent retired from the field made lustrous l)y 
the matchless valor of both blue and gray, not a captive, 
but as citizen, charged with the fulfilment of the great 
mission of restored brotherhood, Wlieii the Great Cai)taiu 
iiad issued his last order for the charge of battle, his next 
order to the whole nation was : ' Let us have peace. 

Thus the confessed Captain of the Age, General G rant, 
was called to the Presidency. Looking only at tlie innue- 
diate record of his eight yeare of civil administration, thi-y 
did not brighten or enlarge his fame; but looking at his 
khole career, in the field and in statesmanship, from the 
standpoint of the present, with the homage of the many 
peoples that encircle the earth interwoven in our national 



pec 



5.56 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

history, the grandeur of his achievement is heightened bja 
having filled the full measure of earthly honors as hero 
and civil ruler. He was untrained in and unfitted fo: 
statesmanship, and the man who had ruled a million men 
in the field by arbitrary orders, was slow to learn the true 
and practical theory of popular government. His civili' 
reign impressed his exceptional individuality in the com^ 
pleteness of personal administration, and one unschooled 
in the intricacies of politics and hardly a student of states 
manship, could not but leave grave errors as landmarks 
of his political authority. He was ambitious, as all men 
of his attainments and opportunities are ambitious, and 
cupidity, ambition and jealousy surrounded him as it everil 
surrounds power. Himself truthful, simple and honest, 
not until four vears after his retirement from the Presi- 
dency did he learn the lesson that power has few honest 
advisers, and ho hud to learn in popular resentment what 
he could not learn as soldier or as civil administrator. 
He would gladly have secured the unprecedented honor 
of a third Presidential term, and who would not, with the 
vigor and faith in himself that General Grant possessed? 
But when the country and the world estimate him as 
hero and statesman, his infirmiiies, so common to great- 
ness and the more conspicuous in the pre-eminently great, 
fade into foraret fulness as the rounded-out measure of his 
fame commands the pride and affection of the country he 
saved from dismemberment, and the respect and adoration 
of every nation of the earth. Nor will the beneficent les- 
sons of his life cease with his death. As years shall speed 
in their flight and bring new heroes and new statesmen 
to meet the new occasions of the future — his achievements, 
brightened by the test of time and the forgetfulness of 
errors — no name from Washington to Cleveland will be 
more lustrous or impressive than that of Ulj^sses S. Grant." 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

RESTING-PLACE OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS DEAD SEVERAL 

SPOTS PROPOSED: WEST POINT; THE CAPITAL OF THE 
NATION RIVERSIDE PARK, NE\7 YORK, CHOSEN — TELE- 
GRAMS OF SYMPATHY TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY SER- 
MON BY REV. DR. NEWMAN AT THE COTTAGE AT 

MT. m'gREGOR THE FUNERAL TRAIN ON ITS WAV TO 

NEW YORK SCENES ALONG THE WAY — THE M'HOLK 

COUNTRY IN MOURNING ARRIVAL AT" ALBANY — LYING 

IN STATE IN THE CAPITOL ARRIVAL AT NEW YOKK — 

CITY HALL, NEAY YORK CITY THE MAGNIFICENT FLN- 

ERAL CORTEGE THE TEMPORARY TOMB. 

Where shall the illustrious chieftain be laid to rest, and 
what shall be the nation's part in the funeral obsequies? 
These questions naturally sprang to every mind, and the 
officials of city after city tendered their tearl'ul hospitali- 
ties in the case. It was understood that the General had 
expressed a desire that should he die on the moiuitain 
during the summer, his remains be kept there lor a time 
and the burial occur when it became cooler. It was un- 
derstood from the first, however, that the funeral obsequies 
would not be hurried. The remains were therefore care- 
fully embalmed, in the best-known method, so that their 
preservation for the period desired might be assure.l. 

Amonn- the many private instructions to his family, it 
is understood that he made substantially the following 
wmmunication concerning his burial-place : 

(557) 



558 LIFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 

" There are three places from which I wish a choice of 
burial-phice to be made : 

" West Point. — I would prefer this above others but for 
the fact that my wife could not be placed beside me there. 

" Galena, or some place in Illinois. — Because from that 
State I received my tirst General's commission. 

" New York. — Because the people of that city be- 
friended me in my need." 

The popular sentiment clearly demanded his burial at 
some site near Washington. There he had won his im- 
perishable renown ; there was the nation's governmental 
centre. Indeed, in anticipation of the selection of the 
capital of the nation as the place of sepulture of the re- 
mains of General Grant, at a meeting of the Commission- 
ers of the Soldiers' Home, held during the General's 
alarming illness last spring, it was unanimously decided 
to tender a commanding site within the grounds of that 
institution. The suggestion of the Soldiers' Home was 
made by ex-Senator Conkling in a letter written to Lieu- 
tenant-General Sheridan. This letter was brought to the 
attention of the Board of Commissioners of the home, and 
the request was complied with. There was some diver- 
sity of views, however, not as to complying with the re- 
quest, but as to the appropriateness of the place as com- 
pared with Arlington. 

In support of the latter spot it was said that the old 
hero would rest amonsi: the brave men who had died in 
defence of their country. Also, being a national ceme- 
tery, Congress would make suitable provisions for the 
final entombment of the remains. In support of the Sol- 
diers' Home it was claimed that it was easy of access — 
that Arlington was across the broad Potomac, and per- 
sons who would desire to visit the tomb of Grant, as they 
do the tomb of Washington, would be greatly incon- 



FUNERAL OBSE(iUIES. r>-,0 

venienced. Besides, the old soldiers at the lioino woidd 
form a perpetual guard of honor over the remains of tlieir 
old commander. 

The Lieutenant-General, in the name of the Tomniis- 
sioners, was at that time authorized to address a letter to 
Mrs. Grant, tendering a site within their grounds. This 
letter was sent to General Badeau, who was to delivi-r it 
to Mrs. Grant after the General's death. The tem|i.>r:irv 
convalescence of the General led to the retiu'n of the let- 
ter to General Sheridan for change of date. T\\o latter 
left the letter with his aide, Colonel G. W. Davis, with the 
necessary directions. The letter was sent to Mrs. (!raut 
on the day the General died. 

General Sheridan also prepared a memorandum, which 
he left with his aide, suo;gestin2: the form of ceremonial, 
and that General Hancock be placed in charge. This 
memorandum was submitted by Adjutant-General Drum 
for the use of the President. A prominent officer, speak- 
ing on the place of burial, said : "The Soldiers' Home 
would be a perpetual resting-place. Like Washington, 
Grant belongs to the country and should be buried where 
the pilgrims of all ages can visit his tomb, as the}- have 
for nearly a hundred years the tomb of Washington." 

On the day of the death, Mayor Grace, of New York, 
by direction of the Board of Aldermen, sent the foUow- 
ino; telecrram to the Grant family : 

"In advance of official action, I am instructed to ten- 
der to yourself and family the deep sympathy of the Com- 
mon Council of the municipal authorities of the city of 
New York in your bereavement. I am also authorized 
by informal action of the authorities, which will be made 
official to-morrow% to tender to you a last resting-place for 
the remains of General Grant in any one of the p:irks of 
this city which you may select. I am also authorized to 



560 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

offer the Governor's room at the City Hall for the pur- 
pose of allowuig the body to lie in state." 

In answer to tiiis offer, Colonel Grant requested a mes- 
senger to be sent for conference on the subject. Mean- 
while both Washington and New York as burial-places 
were strongly urged by various influential parties, inter- 
ested and disinterested. A messenger from the President 
visited the family to confer as to details for the funeral. 

In response to the telegram, the undertaker, Mr. 
Stephen Merritt, of New York, repaired immediately to 
Mount McGregor, and personally superintended all ar- 
rangements pertaining to the remains. 

Guards of honor from the Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, and also from the Regulars at Governor's Island, were 
promptly sent to the mount and assumed control of the 
cottage and its surroundings. 

Immediately following the death President Cleveland 
issued the following proclamation : 

The President of the United States has just received the sad 
tidings of the death of that illustrious citizen and ex-President of 
the United States, General Ulysses S. Grant, at Mount McGregor, 
in the State of New York, to which place he had lately been re- 
moved in the endeavor to })rolong his life. 

In making this announcement to the people of the United 
States the President is impressed with the magnitude of the pub- 
lic loss of a great military leader, who was, in the hour of vic- 
tory, magnanimous; amid disaster, serene and self-sustained; 
who, in every station, whether as a soldier or a Chief Magistrate, 
twice called to power by his fellow-countr^-men, trod unswervingly 
the pathway of duty, undeterred by doubts, single-minded and 
straightforward. The entire country has witnessed with deep 
emotion- his prolonged and patient struggle with painful disease, 
and has watched by his couch of suffering with tearful sympathy. 
The destined end has come at last, and his spirit has returned to 
tlie Creator wlio sent it forth. The great heart of the nation that 
followed him when living with love and jjride bows now in sor- 



\ 



FUNERAL ODSKl^UIES. :.. I 

row above him dead, tenderly mindful of his virtius, his ;;p :n 
patriotic services and of the loss occasioned by his (K-atii. 

In testimony of resi)ect to the memory of General (Iraiit it is 
ordered that the Executive Mansion and the several d(.-i):irUn»-iit.s 
at Washington be draped in mourning for a period ul' thirty <lay>», 
and that all public business shall, on the day of the funcrt'.l, he 
suspended, and the Secretaries of War and of the Navy will 
cause orders to be issued for appropriate njilitary ami naval honors 
to be rendered on that day. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused 
the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city c»r 
Washington this twenty-third day of July, one thousand ei;:ht 
hundred and eighty-five, and of the independence of the United 
States one hundred and ten. Ghoveu Ci.lvki.a.M). 

B}^ the President : 

T. F. Bayard, Sccretarij uj >>lnU\ 

By order of Lieuteiiant-General Sheridan, Adjtitaut- 
General Drum issued the following order : 

In compliance with the instructions of the President, on tl.o 
day of the funeral, at each military post, the troops and ca<iets 
will be paraded and the order read to them, after which all labors 
for the day will cease. The national flag will be displayed at 
half-staff. At dawn of day thirteen guns will be tired, and after- 
Avard, at intervals of thirty minutes between tlie rising and setting 
of the sun, a single gun, and at tiie close of the day a national 
salute of thirty-eight guns. The officers of the army will wear 
cra])e on the left arm and on their swords, and the colors of the 
Battalion of Engineers, of the several regiments and of the United 
States Corps of Cadets will be put in mourning for the period of 
six months. 

The date and hour of the funeral will br comnnmicated to 
department commanders by telegraph and by them to tlu-ir sub- 
ordinate commanders. 

Following the proclamation of the President came 
similar messages from governors of various States, all ol 
them recognizing the worth of the deceased in nn.st eido- 
gistic term\ and at the same time expressing the mc.^t 



562 LIFE OF GENERAL GRAXT. 

profound sympathy with his bereaved family. Governor 
Jlill, of New York, thus expressed his -views: 

" Ulysses S. Grant, twice President of the United 
States, the defender of the Union, tlie victorious leader 
of our soldiers and General on the retired list of the army, 
is dead. To the last he was the true soldier, strono; in 
spirit, patient in suffering, brave in death. His warfare 
is ended. 

" After the close of his official life, and following that 
notable journey around the world, when tributes of esteem 
from all nations were paid, he chose his home among the 
citizens of our State. He died upon our soil, in the 
county of Saratoga, overlooking scenes made glorious by 
revolutionary memories. It is fitting that the State 
which he chose as his home should especially honor his 
memory. 

'' The words of grief and the tokens of sorrow by 
which we mark his death shall honor, too, the offices 
which he held, and proclaim that praise which shall ever 
be accorded to those who served the Eepubllc. Therefore, 
it is hereby directed that flags on the public buildings of 
the State be placed at half-mast until his burial, and on 
that day, yet to be appointed, all ordinary business in the 
Executive Chamber and the departments of the State 
government will be suspended. The people of the State 
are called upon to display, until his funeral, emblems of 
mourning, and it is requested that at that hour they cease 
f^om their business and pay respect to the distinguished 
dead." 

Numerous telegrams of sympathy poured in upon the 
family, the following being among the more noteworthy : 

President Cleveland telegraphed : " Accept this expres- 
sion of my heartfelt sympathy in this hour of your great 
affliction. The people of the nation mourn with you and 



FUNERAL Or.SECjriE^;. fiC3 

would reach, if they could, with kindly coinfoit tin- 
depths of the sorrow which is yours idouc and which oulv 
the pity of God can heal." 

Ex-President Hayes telegraphed : " Please assure Mrs. 
Grant and the sorrowing family that tluy have tin- 
deepest sympathy of Mrs. Hayes and myself," 

Ex-President Arthur promptly telegraphed as follows: 
"I am greatly grieved to get the sad news of the Gt-n- 
eral's death. Pray accept my most sincere syiin);ithy," 

Governor Pattison, of Pennsylvania, sent this incsMVirc 
from Harrisburg: "The people of Pennsylvania d('ci)ly 
sympathize with you and your family in a bereavenu-nt 
which produces profound sorrow throughout tlie nation. 
They deplore the death of the great American soldier who 
has fallen before that universal enemy wdiose sword is 
never sheathed, and to whom the bravest and best nuist 
surrender," 

Lieutenant-General Sheridan telegraphed from Fort 
Eeno : " Will you please express to Mrs, Grant my griof 
at the loss of my dearest friend and comrade, and my 
sincere sympathy and condolence with her in this hour 
of her great distress?" 

General Sherman telegraphed from ^linnesota : "Do- 
spatch received. Will start at once for Fifth Ave-m.e 
Hotel, New York." 

Senator John A. Logan telegraphed: "The painful 
news to me of your fither's death has just been r.-oc-iv.'d. 
The sympathy of myself and family goes out from the 
depth of our hearts to your mother and all of you in 
your great bereavement. The country is (ilU-d witii 
sympathy and grief at this news, but^ its loss must grow 
upon it as the future unfolds the coming years." 

General George B. McClellan sent this message : - A\ dl 
you convey to your mother and family and accept lor 



564 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

yourself my profound and heartfelt sympathy for j'our 
loss?" 

General S. S. Burdett, Commander-in-Chief of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, telegraphed thus : '- Ex- 
pressing the profound grief of the Grand Army of the 
Republic upon the death of the greatest of our comrades, 
on behalf of its three hundred thousand members, I ten- 
der to your honored mother and to all the afflicted family 
their heartfelt sympathy. I pray you have me advised 
so soon as arranGrements for the last sad rites are deter- 
mined upon." 

General Fitz Ilutili Lee, of Virginia, sent a tele2;ram to 
Mrs. Grant, in which he said : " As the son of Genenil 
Robert E. Lee, I send my most profound sympathy. The 
whole South mourns the nation's loss." 

James G. Blaine telegraphed from Augusta : " Please 
accept my profoundest sympathy in your great bereave- 
ment. The entire nation mourns the loss of its first sol- 
dier and first citizen." 

William M. Evarts : " I shall wish to attend the funeral. 
Please telegraph when time is fixed." Later he added : 
" I hope sincerely that the universal and earnest wish of 
the people of the State and city of New York may lead 
the family to approve of the great city as the Ijurial- 
place." 

General P. G. T. Beauregard telegraphed : " I sympathize 
deeply with your family. General Grant was a brave 
and successful soldier and a a;enerous adversarv." 

Grant's classmate and friend, General Rufus Ligalls, 
telegraphed from Hot Springs, Arkansas, saying : " My 
own grief is overwhelming for the loss of my truest 
friend, beloved classmate and noble comrade." 

Representatives of foreign nations were deeply im- 
pressed with their loss also. Among the first expressions 



rUNEEAL OBSEQUIES. 5«5 

of sj'inpathy was tlmt of S. K. TakaliMshi, Consul (.rJ;ii.;ui. 
who telegraphed for himself thus : " I tender \oii mid the 
members of the sorrowing family of (K'neiid (irant my 
profound sympathj^ and sincere condolence in this the 
hour of great affliction." 

Not being content with this expression of his personal 
sorrow, Consul Takahashi afterwards s[)()ke thus for the 
small colony of his countrymen who dwell in tliis city : 
" The Japanese residents of New York city wish to ex- 
press through me their deepest sympathy for and con- 
dolence to the members of the bereaved family of 
General Grant." 

The English ex-Premier personally wrote and s(Mit the 
following: "Mr. Gladstone has heard with regret the 
sad news of General Grant's death. He ventures to 
assure the bereaved family of the sympathj- he feels with 
them in their affliction at the loss of one who had 
rendered his country such signal service as a general and 
a statesman." 

Through the British Minister came the following: 

"Her Majesty the Queen requests me to convey to 
yourself and f^imily her sincere condolence on the death 
of General Grant. 

"The Prince and Princess of Wales express their 
deepest sympathy in the loss of your distinguished hus- 
band. We shall always look back with gratification at 
having had the advantage of knowing him personally. ' 

To Mrs. Sartoris the minister personally added: 
"Accept our sincere condolence." 

Senor Romero, the Mexican Minister, telegraphed: 
" I feel it myself very deeply, not only because a tru.-. kind 
friend of mine is gone, but also in behalf of my country, 
as he was a strong and ardent friend of Mexico, and did 
all he could to develop the good-will between our two 



563 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

countries. I believe that I express the feeling of Mexico 
in saying that his loss will be as much regretted and as 
keenly felt there as in his own country," 

President Diaz, of Mexico, sent a telegram expressing 
his sorrow at the loss of so distinguished a soldier and 
statesman. Maceo Marisal, the Mexican Premier, sent 
the following : " By instructions of President Diaz, I send 
you the most sincere condolence of the Mexican Govern- 
ment for the loss of our great friend, the illustrious Gen- 
eral Grant, and personally I tender my own and my 
family's heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement." 

Among the messages of special interest received are 
these : 

From Lord Ripon, Metherington : "xVllow me to offer 
sincere sympathy on your great loss." 

From Mrs. Mackey, London : " Heartfelt sj'mpathy for 
sad affliction befallen you." 

From Prince Towhito, Tokio, Japan : "I learned with 
much sorrow of the death of your husband. I tender 
you my sincere condolence and deep sympathy." 

From Comte de Paris : " I offer my expression of deep 
sympathy to the widow of the great leader of the Union 
armies." 

From Brazilian Minister, New York : " Li the name of 
the Imperial Government and my own pray accept the 
expression of the deepest sympathy." 

From Ito Hiroburne, Japanese Imperial Household 
Minister, Tokio : " By command I present to you the 
condolence and sympathy of their majesties, the Emperor 
and Empress, in the sad death of the illustrious and 
honored friend of their majesties." 

The press of Europe was prompt and hearty in its 
recognitions of the deceased General's great worth. Tlie 
following extracts which appeared on the morning follow- 



§ FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. M7 

ing his death may be taken as samples of the univrsal 
feeling. 

The Post said : " The American Republic has l„st one 
of its most illustrious citizens. General Grant will be 
best remembered as the able soldier who prevented the 
final severance of the great Republic. It is thus that he 
will be known to posterity. Though not a Napoleon ur 
a Wellington, he handled large armies and led them to 
victorj^" 

The Standard s^idi-. "Although the death of General 
Grant was long expected, the event is not the less de- 
plored. We can only share with his mourning country- 
men in a sense of the loss of one wiiose career was so 
notable, so honorable to himself, and so useful to his 
native land." 

The Da ill/ News said: "There have been few braver 
men than Grant. England will sincerely regret hi.s 
death. It is as a soldier that he will be remembered. 
It is on his military services that his fame will rest. 
After Lincoln's death Grant was decidedly the most 
popular man in the United States." 

The Daily Telegrajih devoted two columns to a review 
of General Grant's military career. Editorially it said : 
" Yesterday the greatest and most successful soldier that 
the United States has produced breathed his last. In no 
portion of the United States have the financial disasters 
marking the close of General Grant's career been regarded 
with more sympathy and regret than in England. Be- 
yond all others he was best fitted to cope witli the 
tremendous crisis which made him, and when tlie grave 
\ closes over all that is mortal of Ulysses Simpson Grant, 
it will be felt that he leaves behind him no man cast in 
a simpler, sincerer or more heroic mould." 

American or2;anizations and residents abroad all felt 

36 



568 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

themselves bereaved and promptly took steps to express 
their sorrow. Mourning emblems appeared at the legation 
and the minister's residence, and meetings for appropriate 
action were promptly called. 

Additional telegrams came from governors of States, 
mayors of cities, military and civil officials the world 
over, as well as from hosts of personal friends. Space 
forbids a fuller showing of these, even did it seem 
desirable. 

On Saturday, July 25th, it was officially announced 
when and where the last rites would be performed. 
Concerning these points General Drum, the President's 
messenger, telegraphed the Secretary of War as follows : 

" Immediately on arrival here this afternoon, I called 
on Mrs. Grant, by her request, and presented the Presi- 
dent's letter. The family have decided to have a mili- 
tary funeral and wish it to be under the authority and 
control of the National Government, New York city has 
been agreed upon as the place of interment, and the 
Mayor has been so notified. The funeral services here 
will take place on August 4th, and the remains will then 
be taken to Albany, where they will lie in state one day. 
They will then be taken to New York city and be laid in 
state in the City Hall until Saturday, August 8th, the day 
fixed for the funeral. The f imily have expressed a wish 
that the U. S. Grant Post, G. A. R., of Brooklyn, should 
act as the guard of honor. I will telegraph General 
Hancock this evening, saying that you have designated 
him to take charge of the body here, that being the wish 
of the family, and to see that it is properly conducted to 
New York, and to have charge of the ceremonies con- 
nected with the funeral and to command the escort 
thereof, with such minor instructions as to details as the 
case requires." 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 560 

General Hancock also telcgraplu'd to tlio mountain tlml 
he Ihid received the instructions of the Secretary of War 
and the details of the military pageant would he attcndc-d 
to as per orders. President Clevehmd was rtMjucstcd hy 
the family to name the pall-bcarers to act at the closin<'* 
obsequies. 

It was at this time announced also that Central Park 
was to be the place of burial in New York. At what 
spot in this beautiful ground the interment should be 
made was not determined. It was understood that Col- 
onel Grant preferred a spot north of the mall and near the 
lake, but the whole question was deferred until he should 
personally inspect the grounds and make a choice. 

Nowhere was this conclusion received with less favor 
than at Washington. One of the leading men of the 
Capital city thus voiced the popular sentiment: 

"The people of Washington are indignant. at the very 
idea of burying the hero of Appomattox in this pleasure- 
ground of New York, and assert that they might as well 
entomb him in Jerome Park or at Coney Island, so far as 
appropriateness is concerned. This is not altogether self- 
ishness, since the friends of Grant here and his old com- 
rades would prefer, next to Washington, the quiet town 
of Galena, 111. The feeling that he should be buried 
here, however, is general. From every direction this sen- 
timent comes to those who advocated this point This is 
national ground. Here citizens from every State and 
Territory meet on common footing. An average of from 
seventy-five to one hundred thousand visitors annually 
make this their Mecca. This is the hub of government, 
wdiile New Y^ork presents only the hul)l)ub of trade and 
commerce. His connection with the business uf New 
York was the saddest incident of his career, for it was an 
incident which plundered him of his wealth and home 



670 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

and soiled his national renown. No one can think of him 
in connection with New York without feeling a repug- 
nance arising from the remembrance of his misfortunes 
there — misfortunes under which he sank rapidly to the 
grave. This is the way people think here and this is 
what they say, that of all places to claim his remains, 
New York should be the last, and of all sites in and 
about that city Central Park is the most inappropriate," 

If any hope of a change of plan remained at Washing- 
ton, Galena, or elsewhere, it was dispelled by the following 
correspondence. Mayor Grace telegraphed his private secre- 
tary, Mr. Turner, who was at Mount McGregor, saying : 

"Your two telegrams just to hand, and I understand 
the matter to be now definitely settled that General 
Grant's body is to be interred here. We cannot take any 
more definite action in regard to the matter of Mrs. Grant 
until a later date. The faith of the President of the 
Board of Aldermen and my own is pledged that we will 
see, when a little time has passed away, that the wishes 
of the family are gratified by formal resolution of the 
Board. Answer immediately, so I may appoint commit- 
tee to make my quota for a grand national monument." 

Upon the receipt of Mr. Grace's telegram Mr. Turner 
repaired at once to the cottage, where a conference was 
had with Colonel Fred Grant. The colonel read the 
mayor's despatch and retained it. At the close of the 
conference Colonel Grant assured the mayor's representa- 
tive that he and the family thus formally accepted the 
tender of a burial-place for General Grant and Mrs. 
Grant in Central Park, in the city of New York, and 
that he and the family would now proceed with all tlie 
funeral arrangements with reference to the above conclu- 
sion. The mayor's messenger then telegraphed to Mayor 
Grace the result of his mission. 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 'Tl 

These proceedings were followed in New York l^y siudi 
official action as would give definite eUl'ct to these phms. 

At eight o'clock on Monday morning, July 27lli, Col- 
onel Fred Grant and his brother Jesse, accompanied hy 
General Horace Porter, arrived in Xew York. Tln-v 
went at once to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, wliere they 
held a conference with General Sherman. Tlie latter, 
after receiving several callers, went to Governor's Lslan 1 
to confer with General Hancock. Jesse Grant left the 
hotel to attend to some private business matters, and 
Fred Grant went to the City Hall, where he was cordially 
received by Mayor Grace. Tlie mayor said that liis time 
was wholly at the disposal of Colonel Grant and that 
plans had been made with the Park Commissioners to go 
at once to Central Park to consider the best site for Gen- 
eral Grant's grave. Colonel Grant said in reply that his 
mother and all the members of the family felt deeply the 
kind attention which Mayor Grace, on the part of the 
people of New York, had shov/n them. It was liis 
mother's wish that he should select the burial-place of his 
father, but he would not decide on the site until he had 
consulted with her after looking over the park. 

President Sanger, of the Board of Aldermen, joined 
them, and they started at once for Central Park. The 
Commissioners w^ere in waiting at the Fifth avenue and 
Fifty-ninth street gate. In th^ course of conversation 
President Crimmins, of the Commissioners, informed Col- 
onel Grant that the board had this morning adopted a 
resolution granting the right of burial with the General 
in any of the parks to his widow. 

The party then took a glance at the plaza at the Fifty- 
ninth street entrance. This entrance, known as tlie 
^'scholars'" gate, is the most spacious of any to the park, 
comprising nearly two acres of ground, adorned with 



572 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

flower-beds and lawns. It is the most frequented en- 
trance, and the party all agreed that it might be too pub- 
lic. Taking carriages, they then drove northward. Said 
Colonel Grant during the drive : " I do not think that it 
ever occurred to father that his burial-place was likely to 
be in any of the parks of New York. My mother's idea, 
after his death, was that Washington would be the pleas- 
antest place, but since then she has felt that New York 
would have pleased him best. He greatly enjoyed driving 
in Central Park during his early illness. I do not know 
that he had a preference for any special part of it." 

The party drove beyond the lake to the west of the 
reservoir, where the ground rises in a series of hills, on 
one of which is the bronze equestrian statue of Bolivar, 
while east of the reservoir is the obelisk and the Metro- 
politan Art Museum. They went to the highest of the 
hills opposite One-hundred-and-fifth street, which com- 
mands a view of the entire park and of the west side of 
the city and of the Hudson river. This site had been 
thought very favorable. 

'* What building is that under way on the avenue yon- 
der ? " asked Colonel Grant. 

" It is the new Cancer Hospital, at One-hundred-and- 
sixth street and Eighth avenue," he was told. 

'' My father's tomb might not be pleasant for the 
patients," said the colonel, thoughtfully, and the others 
agreed with him. 

Thence the party drove to Riverside Park, which ex- 
tends three miles northward from Seventy-second street, 
curving along the bank of the Hudson thirty feet above 
the water, and which is likely, though now unimproved, 
to be the most beautiful park in New York ten years 
hence. The view up the river extends over Forts Lee 
and Washington to the Tappan Zee. At the highest 



FUNERAL OJiSKi^UIES. ATI 

point, at One-hundred-iiml-twenty-firili strui't, is :in oM 
mansion built by Lord Courtney belbrc the lie volution, 
and now a resort for bicycle riders and horsemen. Col- 
onel Grant was pleased with this location. At least twmty 
acres surrounding it could be developed to accord with 
the monument, but Colonel Grant did not express him- 
self more positively in its favor than to say that he would 
present its advantages to his mother. After dining at 
this spot the party drove back to Central Park and 
stopped at the Belvidere, which stands like an old Nor- 
man castle at the southeastern end of the reservoir. It 
has been proposed to use the Belvidere as a temporary 
tomb. 

Thence Colonel Grant returned to the Fifth Avenue 
Hotel, where he spent several hours in talking with Gen- 
eral Sherman. The colonel returned to Mount Mc- 
Gregor in the evening. Just before his departure he said : 
"I cannot regard anything as settled until I have seen 
my mother. I have talked over many plans to-day, both 
during the drive and with General Sherman, but it is iin- 
jwssible that any final decision should be reached until 
all plans have been submitted to my mother." 

There has been some discussion as to where the body 
should lie in state. Lincoln's body lay in the Governor's 
room in the City Hall. This is at the head of a tliudit of 
stone stairs so arranged that spectators could ascend in one 
direction and descend in another. AVhen Colonel Grant 
looked at the stone staircase to-day he expressed some 
fear that it might give way if thronged and ad.l.-d : 
'' Nothing could distress us more than to have any a.vi- 
dent happen, especially if it could have been avoided." 
The staircase, however, is regarded as obsolutely sale 
under four times the weight that can be put on it. 

While these matters were under consideration m New 



574 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

York other plans were maturing at Mt. McGregor. It 
was decided to use the observation car for transporting 
the remains of Grant down the mountain to Sarato2;a. 
Tliis is an open car, not unlilve a street car, except tliat 
it is boarded lialf-way up the sides. The seats would be 
taken out half through the car from the rear end, and 
the casket would rest in this space. In the front end 
would be the guard from the U. S. Grant G. A. R, Post, 
No. 327, of Brooklyn, who would remain immediately 
around the body until the interment. The observation 
car would be entirely covered with black cloth, relieved by 
white stripes and rosettes, so that it would be wholly en- 
closed. On the casket would rest the American flan: and 
floral tributes. The train would be in charge of General 
Manafi;er D. H. Fonda, and the enirine would be driven 
by the master mechanic of the road, Mr, Thomas Todd. 

The funeral car would be immediately back of the en- 
gine, and back of the funeral car would .come the most 
elegant coach belonging to the road, in which the family 
and intimate friends would ride. There would be a car 
behind this for the press, probably. The funeral train 
would be immediately followed by another, to bring the 
people down who had been at the funeral. Both the 
railroad and the hotel would undoubtedly be swamped, as 
neither had accommodations for the deluge of people who 
would surely come there, but the railroad officials would 
spare no pains to perfect every detail of the arrangements 
for the funeral. The road had been reballasted over its 
entire length and was now remarkably smooth for a 
mountain road. When the train arrived at Saratoga it 
would stop at the same point where it stopped when 
Grant came here — that is, a point about two blocks from 
the depot, where the Delaware and Hudson and the Mt. 
McGregor lines are parallel and only about a rod apart. 



FUNERAL OBSE(iUlE,S. CT5 

There would be as little delay as possible in Saratt)"ft, 
much to the regret of the Saratogans, wlio wouKl doiibtli'ss 
feel keenly disappointed at the refusal to k't tlie loiiiaina 
of the General lie in state in Congress Park. 

The private cars of William H. Vanderbilt and Presi- 
dent Webb and one baggage car would await tin* moun- 
tain train at Saratoga upon the tracks of the Delaware 
and Hudson Canal Company's road. The remains would 
be placed in Mr. Vanderbilt's car, in which tlic family 
would accompany the remains. The other car would be 
occupied by others of those closely interested in the ol> 
sequies. At Albany the ladies would be transferred to 
another special train, in which they would be taken to 
New York, the funeral train waiting in Albany until 
Wednesday afternoon to continue the journey witli the 
remains to New York. 

For the obsequies at Albany it was settled in a confer- 
ence between Governor Hill and Colonel Jones that the 
more impressive open court of the capitol be abandoned 
as the place where General Grant's remains would lie in 
state and the executive chamber substituted. Tiu^ furni- 
ture would all be removed and the chandelier taken from 
the centre of the ceiling. The catafalque would l)e set 
in the centre of the large apartment. The design wa.s 
for a handsome canopy of black supported by four pillars. 
This would be ten feet in height, and woidd be lighted 
with electric lights placed in the vault. The iq)rigl.t.s 
would be trimmed with American flags in festoons. The 
catafalque would be nine feet wide an<l quite as long. 
The pedestal on which the casket would rest in tl.<- centre 
was to be three feet wide and two feet six inches tall at 
the head, having a pitch of eighteen inch(>s. This was 
arrancred so that children could view the features. 

The walls would be decked with the battle-Oags of 



576 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

New York regiments, now deposited in the capitol, and 
the catafalque with flowers from the hothouses of the ex- 
ecutive mansion. On the arrival of the remains there a 
salute of thirty-eight guns would be fired and the body 
placed on a funeral car. On a wide platform of black 
would be a pedestal to place the casket upon. About it 
would be a canopy of black supported by four pillars 
twined with silk flags. This would be drawn by four or 
six white or black horses. Arriving at the capitol, the 
Brooklj'n Grand Army Post would convey the casket 
through the State street doorway, up the senate staircase 
and into the executive chamber, depositing it on the 
catafalque. About one hundred military and civic bodies 
had already announced their intention to take part in the 
ceremonies there. The funeral procession, under com- 
mand of General Hancock and mounted staff, would pro- 
ceed through several of the principal streets before 
reaching the capitol. 

Meanwhile General Hancock and a corps of officials were 
enoaGfed from seven o'clock in the mornimi: until eleven or 
twelve at night at the head-quarters on Governor's Island, 
preparing for the funeral parade. Letters and despatches 
were received from every portion of the country for places 
in the line. Adjutant-General Snowden, of General Han- 
cock's staff, said that the only trouble was to keep the appli- 
cations within such bounds as would permit of the services 
being held within one day. The commander of the 
Grand Army alone said he could furnish 10,000 men, and 
if this were done there would, with the State and national 
troops, be a far greater mass of men at hand than could 
be handled in a reasonable time. 

On Colonel Grant's arrival at Mount McGregor a family 
conference was held, and its conclusion was given to the 
world in the following despatches : 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 677 

Mount McfiitKcou, Jh},j 2K/A. 
W. R. Grace: Mother takes Riverside. Teniponiry tomb ha.l 
better be at the same place. F. I). (iitA.NT. 

Mount McGuF.r.ou, July -l^th. 
General R. McFeely, Washington, D. C: Mother to-day ac- 
cepted Riverside Park. She wishes me to tlumk you fur the tender 
of the Soldiers' Home. F. I). Gijant. 

On the same train with Colonel Grant came a d»'tach- 
ment of regular troops. They brought tlieir tent.s and all 
camp accoutrements and wore the uniiorm of the regular 
army. There were thirty-eight men in all. The com- 
mandant was Major Brown, with Lieutenant.s Wood and 
Barr. The detail was made up from Company K of tiie 
Twelfth Infantry, located at Fort Niagara, thirty-.^evon 
miles from Buffalo. The men were formed in line, under 
arms, at the little mountain depot and marched up the 
path General Grant attempted to climb to the cottage 
just six weeks ago, through the grove in front of the 
cottage and up the slope to a ridge covered witii pine 
trees and beeches. The spot where a halt was made is 
beneath the trees near the Ea.stern Outlook, and here the 
white tents were pitched, and about the cottage where 
the dead commander lay was a scene of bivouac and 
camp life, with veterans and regulars side by side. Colonel 
Roger Jones, to whom all the military here were ordered 
to report, came with the regulars and assumed control 
and direction, under orders from General Hancock. >ix 
hundred or seven hundred troops had been ordered to 
Saratoga to meet the remains of General Grant on their 
arrival" from the mountain. A battery of artillery had 
been ordered there also, that salutes might be find durmg 
the transfer of the body from the mountain tram to the 
funeral train on the tracks of the Delaware and Hudson 
Canal Company's road. 



578 LIFE OF GENEEAL GRANT. 

Immediately on the receipt of Colonel Grant's final 
telegram the New York Board of Aldermen convened 
and took the following action : 

Whereas, The family of General U. S. Grant have accepted the 
offer of the corporation of the city of New York for sepulture 
in one of the public parks of the city, and have selected a site in 
Riverside Park for that purpose; be it therefore 

Resolved, That the right of sei3ulture in said Riverside Park be 
and is hereb}^ given to General U. S. Grant and his wife upon her 
demise; and be it further 

Resolved, That a proper deed of cession for the purpose desig- 
nated be prepared by the counsel to the corporation when the 
exact locality and dimensions of the ground are fixed, and the 
said deed be duly executed by the city authorities. 

Something more about this resting-place of the great 
General should be tohl. Riverside Park is a narrow and 
irregular strip of land lying between Riverside avenue 
and the Hudson river, from Seventy-second street to 
One-hundred-and-thirtieth street. Between the western 
limit and the river, however, passes the road-bed of the 
Hudson River Railway. The general width of the park 
is about five hundred feet, while its entire length is some 
three miles, the area being about one hundred and seventy- 
eight acres, only a portion of which has been laid out in 
walks and drives, while the rest still retains the wild 
picturesqueness of nature. 

The surroundings of this park are so lovely that it is 
believed it will ultimately become the most aristocratic 
residence region of New York. The ground rises to a 
bold bluff above the Hudson river and the views from 
the river drive-way are very charming, giving glimpses 
of the undulating, tree-covered park, the shining stretches 
of the river dimpled into innumerable wavelets and the 
Weehawken heights opposite. The drives of Riverside 



PUXERAL OBSK( >ri r-:s. 



670 



begin at Seventy-second street and cxt.-iid tliiv.. uiWon to 
One-liundivd-and-twenty-ninth street. Tliciv are wv- 
eral of these drives curving gracefully along tli.- bank of 
the Hudson, in some places three hundred feet above the 
water. The baidv slopes gradually to tin.' shore and tho 
intervening space between the drives and the river is 
filled with groves of tall trees. 

Little has yet been done to inipi-ove this purk, which 
in its primitive state is a favorite resort for pienie parties 
and promenades of people living in the western portion 
of the city. The drives are broad, level and macadamized 
so as to be smooth as a floor. A heavy stone parai>et 
runs along the brink of the hill, with recesses for seat.**, 
passages and steps down into the groves along the river 
bank. Workmen are now engaged in the improvement 
of the park. At the Seventy-second street entrance is a 
handsome bronze statue of Washington, which wa.s sulx- 
scribed for largely by the public school children of New 
York and was unveiled by them last year on the Fourtii 
of July. The hills continue to rise in an easy grade to 
One-hundred-and-twenty-fifth street, and at One-lnni- 
dred-and-twenty-ninth street a deep cut separates them 
from the range known as Washington Heights, on the 
northern end of Manhattan Island. 

At One-hundred-and-twenty-fifth street, the highest 
point, is what used to bo known as the Clareinont Hou.se. 
It was built by Lord Courtney, an eccentric Knglishman, 
before the Revolution, and was occupied by Ijim for many 
ye^rs. It is at this point that the burial site lias been 
fixed. The monument, when erected, can be seen for a 

long distance. 

In a letter that Mayor Grace sent to Colonel Grant 
suggesting Riverside Park as the best place for the Gen- 
erS's tom^b the writer made the following points in favor 



580 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

of that site : " Because of the peculiar beauty of the place 
in its location on the river and the fact that a monument 
in it would be visible far and wide. It w^ould give a dis- 
tinct characteristic to this quiet and beautiful park, and 
such a monument as would probably be erected there 
would vie in beauty and fitness of location with the 
famous statue of Germania on the Rhine. The entire 
park would become peculiarly, in a sense that Central 
Park never can become, sacred and devoted to the memory 
of your father. The park is so young that the character 
of its development would be largely determined and its 
whole future dominated by this fact. Tlie monument 
■would be visible from two States and for miles, both up 
and down the Hudson river, and would not only borrow 
from but lend beauty to the noble stream, and at no time 
could your father's remains be regarded as lying remote 
from nature. In the heart of a great busy city, in the 
rush and hurry of the life in which death and its sacred- 
ness may be forgotten, the remains of even the great dead 
may be passed in thoughtlessness." 

Architect Mold, of the Department of Public Parks, at 
once set about the plans for the temporary vault which 
is to contain the body of General Grant until the erection 
of a permanent tomb. It is to be made entirely of brick. 
Within it will measure twelve by seven feet. It will be 
four feet under ground and will be surmounted by a barrel 
arch, w^ith two rims of brick. In front rises a cross. A 
large iron door will give access to the plain cemented 
interior. On each side will be four cross-shaped openings 
for ventilation. The front will face the river. The vault 
will be seen as far up the river as Haverstraw. 

At 5.15 on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 20th, a 
train of three cars, pulled by one engine and pushed by 
another, hauled into and stopped at the depot on Mount 



FUNERAL OBSE(>UIES. 5g] 

McGregor. From the rear alighted thu'ty-oight nu'ii of 
Battery A, Fifth Artillery. They had been sent l)y (\vn- 
eral Hancock from Governor's Island to form i)arL of tljc 
guard about the cottage. The car next the engine was 
the observation car, in which the remains of General Grant 
will be borne to Saratoga. From this car stepped Under- 
taker Merritt, his son, and a representative of the linn 
that made the casket in which General Grant is to be in- 
terred. The casket was then removed from the car and 
placed on a light lumber wagon and taken to the south 
steps of the cottage. The casket, in its heavy oaken 
shipping box, was carried up the steps and into the rear 
parlor of the cottage, which is divided from the room in 
which the dead General lay by heavy curtain.^. 

The heavy nickel-bound box was opened and the casket 
removed and borne into the uext room, where it was 
,placed beside the remains. Undertakers Ilarrigan, of 
Albany; Sullivan, of New York, and C. E. Bonnison. of 
Boston, the two latter being the embalmers. then attended 
to the practical details of transferring the remains to tiie 
final receptacle. The New York undertakers. Harrison, 
the General's servant, and Henry, the nurse, were present. 
It was found that the hardening process that results from 
embalming had begun, and the embalmers expres.sed the 
belief, established by precedent, that the body would re- 
main in its present condition, without change, for at least 
six months. Harrison was permitted to aid in the fmal 
preparation of the remains as far as possible. 

A suit of black broadcloth was placed upon the re- 
mains, the coat being a Prince Albert. A white hnen 
standing collar circled the neck and a black sdk scarf tied 
in a plain bow at the throat. The tie was arranged by 
Harrison, and he also adjusted a pair of low-cut patent 
leather slippers on the dead General's feet when they had 



582 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

been encased ia white stockings. The act of tying the 
silk bows of the slippers was the last personal service 
Harrison did for his late master. Gold studs were fixed 
in the shirt front and plain gold buttons in the cuffs. 
AVhen the remains had been finally attired and placed 
within the casket, the double-breasted Prince Albert coat 
was buttoned closely from top to bottom. The right hand 
was folded across the breast, and the left hand was dis- 
posed in an easy position by the side. 

Colonel Fred Grant at this point entered the apartment. 
He approached the casket where it rested beneath the 
black-draped canopy, and. leaning above it some moments, 
studied the face of his fixther in silence. Then, taking in 
his own the right hand of the General, Colonel Grant 
placed upon the third finger a plain gold ring and then 
replaced upon the breast the still, thin hand. Before 
turning away, the colonel drew forth a small packet of 
mementos and placed them in the breast-pocket of the 
coat. Having performed these last direct personal offices, 
Colonel Grant retired, and those in charge dropped the 
heavy plate-glass top of the casket in place and the casket 
was sealed by the turning down of sixty screws that press 
the glass down into its fitting and render the casket air- 
tight. And so the General's remains lay covered with an 
American flag. An incandescent lamp shed a mellow 
light about the heavy canopy, and the flag-covered casket 
beneath was in shadow and rest until the day of removal. 

While the body lay in the casket at the cottage, many 
visitors were admitted to gaze upon the remains. The 
family, too, enjoyed the sad privilege frequently. With 
each day's train from Saratoga came many to avail them- 
selves of this opportunity. So the days passed until 
Tuesday, August 4th, the day set for the commencement 
of the funeral obsequies. 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 681 

The first train up left Saratoga at six o'clock, liaving 
among other passengers the Rev, Bisliop Harris, of tlio 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rev. J. E. C. Sawyer, 
of Troy. Generals Horace Porter and Fred T. Dent, 
Senor Romero and Mrs. M. J. Cramer had arrived tiie 



~'"-^-: 



#" 










^f^H^^^j; 




REV. J. P. NEWMAN, D. D. 

night before. The second train brought up General Han- 
cock and party. He was accompanied by his stall, as he 
had been the day before, and with them came Gent-rul 
Sherman, Vice- Admiral Rowan, Senator Evarts, SenaK.r 
Warner Miller, Mrs. Drexel and three guests of Mi's, 
37 



584 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Drexel. Tliej- went directly to the cottage and paid their 
respects to the family. 

The services, conducted at the open door so that the 
speaker could be heard by those within and without, be- 
gan by the reading of the 90th Psalm; prayer by Bishop 
Harris ; singing " My Faith Looks up to Thee," led by a 
chorister and joined in by the audience ; address by Rev. 
Dr. J. P. Newman ; reading of Scriptures and final 
prayer. The address was very full and elaborate. 

Dr. Newman took as his text Matthew xxv. 21 : 

" Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord." 

He began by saying : 

" Such, my brethren, is the eulogy that God shall pro- 
nounce upon human goodness and fidelity wherever found 
among the sons of men. The accidental distinction be- 
tween prince and peasant, millionaire and pfvuper, com- 
manding general and private soldier, are but as the dust 
in the balance in His estimation of personal worth ; He 
regards not the person of any man ; He looks upon the 
heart. 

'• Tell me not what a man possesses — the beauty of Ab- 
salom, the glory of Solomon, the wealth of Dives, the elo- 
quence of ApoUos, the learning of Paul, but rather tell 
me what he is, in his modes of thought, in his emotional 
being, in the trend of his passions, in the temper of his 
mind, in the tenor of his life, out of which comes the to- 
tality of his existence and the finality of his destiny. 
This is the man as he is, and by it let him be judged. Li 
the intensity of this divine light let us to-day recall the 
character of the illustrious man whose death a nation so 
tenderly mourns. 

" For forty years he was hidden in comparative 
obscurity, giving no indications of his wondrous capacity; 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. rxi 

but in those four decades he was luatminij. and at tl:o 
appointed time God lifted the veil dI' ol.^.-urif \ . rail..! 
upon hini to save a nation and givr a new din-nit »n to 
the civilization of the world. How cahn liis jiiduMiu-nt. 
how clear and quick and accurate his imaginatinn. hnw 
vast and tenacious his memory! reason was his (loininant 
faculty. lie was a natural logician. lie could di'scond 
to the smallest details and rise to the highest gtMicraliza- 
tions. His wonderful understanding was like the tciit in 
story; fold it and it was a toy in the hand of a cliiM, 
spread it and the mighty armies of a republic could roposc 
in its shade. He could comprehend a continent with 
greater ease than others could master an island. I'nd'T 
his vast and comprehensive plans a continent shook with 
the tramp of advancing armies. As out of some immense 
mental reservoir there came a fertility of resources di.-*- 
played in a hundred battles, in the greatest emerg«Micies 
and in a threefold campaign, carried forward at the 
same time without confusion, and each the part v( one 
stupendous whole. 

"When he rose to supreme connnand, the nation ih^- 
manded one dominant spirit, mighty to grasp, strong 
to execute, powerful to inspire. The country was one, 
the rebellion was one, and the armies of the Union should 
be one, and the general who could mould, contn»l, in- 
spire an army of a million strong and make them think, 
feel and fight as one man was the desire of the Republic. 
Such a one was he around whose bier a nation weep.s 
to-day. He fought for the right, to end the war; h.' con- 
quered a peace. He hated war. He looked upon it ns a 
ghastly monster whose march is to th<' music <>! tin- 
widow's sigh and the orphan's cry. He loved p<'a<'e and 
pursued it. * Blessed are the peace-makers, for they 
shall be called the children of God,' was his beatitude. 



586 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

In his London speech in 1877 he said: ^Although a sol- 
dier by education and profession, I have never felt any 
sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it 
except as a means of peace.' This was the energy of his 
courage. 

" He would not waste life and treasure to gain advan- 
tages, while the means were left to the enemy to regain 
them. He understood the necessity of sacrifice to achieve 
a greater advantage. He surrendered the less to obtain 
the greater. He was not indifferent to the preciousness 
of human life. Did he expose his troops ? He protected 
them by shortening the time of the war and by the greater 
vigor of his attacks. His was the arithmetic of blood. 
Some Quintus Fabius Maximus would have sacrificed a 
hundred thousand more men and $350,000,000 more 
treasure by the slowness of his movements and the feeble- 
ness of his efforts. ' Plow can I save my country and 
prevent the greater effusion of blood ? ' was his supreme 
question ; and his supreme answer was : ' By an energy 
that knows no defeat.' Thus he reasoned ; and to-day 
the people bless him. 

" From this better nature and higher mission as a war- 
rior sprang his conduct toward the vanquished. He had 
no hatred in his heart. His heart was as tender as a 
woman's. He was not vindictive. His holy evangel to 
the nation was, ' Let us have peace.' Hence, toward the 
close of the war, those who had fought against him saw 
that there was no safety but in the arms of their con- 
queror. In his dying chamber he grasped the hand of 
him whose sword was the first he had won, and said : ' I 
have witnessed since my sickness just what I wished to 
see ever since the war, harmony and good feeling between 
the sections.' On Holy Easter lie sent forth his tender 
' I desire the good-will of all, whether hitherto 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 887 

my friends or not.' His was the sung of the angels : 'On 
earth peace, good-will toward men.' 

" Life in the camp has proved ruinous to the morals of 
the greatest of warriors. The excitement of a lif«.' de- 
voted to arms, the scenes of excess and plunder to which 
a soldier is exposed, the absence of the restraints of iiume 
and church, tend to the worst of passions and to the 
corruption of the best morals. But here in the presence 
of the dead, whose ears are forever deaf to our praise or 
censure, let it be our grateful duty to record thai alit-r 
five years in camp and field he returned to his iion»e 
without a stain upon his character. Among ancient or 
modern warriors where shall we find his superior in moral 
elevation ? Given to no excess himself, he sternly re- 
buked it in others. He could speak to every one aceoi'd- 
ing to his station — to generals of their battles, to statesmen 
of their measures, to travellers of their discoveries, to 
artisans of their inventions, to Christians of thrir hopes; 
and he could be the delightful companion of kings and 
queens, of courtiers and chosen friends. He never took the 
name of his Creator in vain, and an impure story never 
polluted his lips. He assured me, as his pastor, that 
were he disposed to swear he would be compelled to 
phrase the sentence. 

"His sense of justice was equalled only by his love of 
truth. He preferred honor to wealth and poverty to 
riches not his own. 0, Americans, think of the pride of 
your nation, the glory of your age and the object of the 
world's admiration having nothing to bequeatii to those 
he loved, save his good name, and that heaven admitted 
to the probate without the whisper of contention. 

"He loved life and enjoyed it; he loved children and 
caressed them; he loved his family and found therem 
his chief delight. He had not taste ibr music, but he had 



f,88 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT, 

melody in his heart; he despised pretence and show, but 
admired the real and beautiful. He was not fond of 
books, yet by carefulness of observation, by thoroughness 
of reflection, by attentiveness to the conversation of the 
well-informed, by extensive travels in many lands, by the 
daily study of current events, he was the most intelligent 
citizen in our Republic. He was the most diligent news- 
paper reader in the land. He was a living encyclopccdia 
of facts, figures and men, and his forthcoming memoirs 
will astonish the reader with his accurate estimate of per- 
sons, the keenness of his observations and the vastnessof 
his information. 

" Such a solid, sturdy character becomes our geography 
and institutions and our destiny. Self-government calls 
upon the judgment to control the imagination; to 
ambition to submit to queenly modesty ; to adventure to 
bow to prudence ; to justice to hold in subjection political 
wrong; to virtue to dominate every vice; itseems to be 
with us a national tradition that only men of solid viitues 
shall be raised to supreme position in our Republic. 

" ' Our greatest yet with least pretence, 
Great in council and great in war, 
Foremost captain of his time, 
Ilich in saving common-sense, 
And, as the greatest only are. 
In his simplicity sublime.' 

'''As he was the typical American, should we be sur- 
prised to find that his was the typical American home? 
May we lift the curtain and look upon the holy privacy 
of that once unbroken household ? On the mutual and 
reciprocal love of wedded life within those sacred pre- 
cincts ? Husband and wife the happy supplement of each 
other, their characters blending in sweetest harmony liko 



FUXERAL OBSEQUIES. 000 

the blended colors in the bow ol" i.roiiiisc. IK', Htivn-'ili. 
dioiiitj and courage; she, gentleness, grace and puritw 
He, the Doric column to sustain; slie, the Curintliian 
column to beautify. He, the oak to support ; she, ivy lo 
entwine. In their life of deathless love, their happinoHs 
lay like an ocean of pearls and diamonds in the cui brace 
of the future. He, unhappy without her presence; siie, 
desolate without his society. She, pure, high-niindi-d, 
discriminating, ardent, loving, intelligent- he confided to 
her his innermost soul and blessed her with his U-A and 
unfailing love. She shared his trials and his triuini)hs; 
his sorrows and his joys ; his toils and his rewards. How 
tender was that scene, in the early dawn of that April 
day, when all thought the long-expected end had come, 
he gave her his watch and tenderly caressed her hand. 
It was all the great soldier had to give to the wife of his 
youth. And the dying hero whispered : • I did not have 
you wait upon me, because I knew it would distress you ; 
but now the end draws nigh.' And out from the ' swell- 
inirs of Jordan ' he rushed back to the shore of life to write 
this tender message to his son: ^ Vriierever I am buried, 
promise me that your mother shall be buried by my side.' 
It is all a wife could ask; it is all a husband could 
wi.sh. 

'' ' Lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death 
they shall not be divided.' 

" Side by side they shall sleep in the same tomb, and 
she shall share with him whatever homage future ages 
shall pay at his national shrine. 

'•And how tender was his care. He thought not of 
himself, but of her. To his son he said : ' I hoi^e mother 
will bear up bravely.' To quiet her anxiety he wrote : 
'Do as I do ; take i't quietly. I give myself not the lea.«t 
concern. If I knew the end was to be to moirow, I would 



oeo LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

try just as hard to get rest in the meantime.' Would she 
keep holy vigils through the livelong night? He wrote: 
'Go to sleep and feel happy; that is what I want to do, 
and am going to try for. I am happy when out of pain. 
Consider how happy you ought to be. Good-night!' 

'•And such was the tenderness of his love and solicitude 
for her and hers, he surprised her by a letter found after 
his death. It came as a message to her from him after 
he had gone. When his spirit had returned to the God 
who gave it there was found secreted in his robe his last 
letter to her, enveloped, sealed and addressed. He had 
written it betimes — written it secretly — and carried the 
sacred missive day after day during the fourteen days, 
knowing that she would find it at last. In it he poured 
forth his soul in love for her and solicitude for their chil- 
dren : 

" ' Look after our dear children and direct them in the 
paths of rectitude. It would distress me far more to 
think that one of them could depart from an honorable, 
upright and virtuous life than it would to know that they 
were prostrated on a bed of sickness from which they 
were never to arise alive. They have never given us any 
cause for alarm on their account, and I earnestly pray 
they never will. With these few injunctions and the 
knowledge I have of your love and affection, and of the 
dutiful affection of all our children, I bid you a final 
farewell until we meet in another and>, I trust, a better 
world. Yoii will find this on my person after my demise.' 

"And who should marvel that in a home of such 
parentage parental love and filial affection should reign 
supreme ? 

*•' If such was his character, such his home, what were 
the consolations which sustained him in sickness and 
cheered him in death ? Reared in the Methodist Episco- 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. mi 

• pal Church, and baptized in liis last ilhioss l)v oik' (»r her 
ministers, his religious nature was sincere, cahn and stead- 
fast. The principles of Christianity were deeplv en- 
grafted upon his spirit. Firm, but never demonstrative, 
he was not a man of religious pretence. His hfc was liis 
profession. He knew that Christianity had nothing to 
gain from him beyond the influence of a ' well-ordored 
life and a godly conversation,' but tliat ho liad everything 
to gain from the power and promises of our Lord. .'^lore 
than in all things else he was taciturn touching his re- 
ligious faith and experience — not, however, from doubt 
and fear, but from mental characteristics. The keenest, 
closest, broadest of all observers, he was the most silent 
of men. He lived within himself His thouglit-life wa.s 
most intense. His memory and imagination were picture- 
galleries of the world and libraries of treasured tiiouglit. 
He was a world to himself Plis most intimate friends 
knew him only in part. He was fully and best known 
only to the wife of his bosom and the children of his 
loins. To them the man of iron will and nerve of steel 
was gentle, tender and confiding, and to them he un- 
folded his beautiful religious life. 

"On the 18th of April he said to me: 'I bcli.'ve in 
the holy Scriptures, and whoso lives by them will be 
benefited thereby. Men may diffl-r as to the intei-prc- 
tation, which is human, but the Scriptures are man's 
best guide.' He revered their source, recognized their 
influence, responded to their requisitions, trusted ni their 
promises and found consolation in their hopes. His laith 
in God as the Sovereign Ruler and the Father Almighty 
was as simple as a child's and niigiity as a propht-l s. 

"And where in the annals of the church shall we find 
a dying hour so full of divine repose? His calm faith 
in a future state was undisturbed by anxious doubt. Un 



592 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

suffering and wasted body was but the casket for the 
resplendent jewel of his soul, and when death ruthlessly 
broke that precious casket an angel carried the jewel to 
the skies to lay it at the Saviour's feet. In the early light 
of April 1st, when all thought the end was come, the suf- 
ferer said to me : ' Doctor, I am going.' 

" ' I hope the prospect of the future is clear and bright,' 
was my response, and the answer came : ' Yes; oh, yes!' 
Then followed a scene of infinite tenderness. The hon- 
ored wife, the precious daughter, the devoted sons and 
their wives, each in turn approaclied, and he tenderly 
kissed them. ' Do you know me, darling?' was the lov- 
ing wife's inquirj^, and he whispered back : ' Certainly I 
do, and bless you all in my heart.' 

" Such love melted the marble heart of death, and the 
' King of Terrors' fled affrighted. The sufferer revived. 
Heaven added months to a life so dear to us all. When 
he had recovered sufficiently I asked him : ' What was 
the supreme thought on your mind when Eternity seemed 
so near?' 

" ' The comfort of the consciousness that I had tried to 
live a good and honorable life,' was the response, which 
revealed the hidden life of his soul. Again the angel of 
death cast his shadow over the one a nation loved. Amid 
the gathering gloom I said : ' You have many awaiting 
you on the other side.' 

" ' I wish they would come and not linger long,' was 
the answer of his Christian faith and hope. 

"They came at last. They came to greet him with the 
kiss of immortality. They came to escort the conqueror 
over the 'last enemv' to a coronation never seen on 
thrones of earthly power and glory. Who came ? His 
martyred friend, Lincoln ? His companion in arms, 
McPherson ? His faithful chief of staff, Rawlins ? His 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIKS. MS 

great predecessor in oain[) and cahinct. WashinL'ton ? 
And did not all who have died lor liberty eoiui'".' O 
calm, brave, heroic soul, sing thou the song of Christiuii 
triumph ; ' death, where is thy sting? grave, where 
is thy victory? Thanks be to (loil. which -^Ivelh us the 
victory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." 

'• And that victory w^as at hand. From his vii-w on 
Monday at the eastern outlook he was to ascend to U-hold 
a grander vision. Tuesday came and went. Niuiit drew 
on apace and death seemed innninent. Around his chair 
we knelt in prayer for some divine manifestation of com- 
fort. Our prayer was heard. The sufferer revived. 
Again he wrote messages of love and wisdom. The night 
wore away. Wednesday dawned on hill and dale. Hoikj 
revived. Ilis intellect was clear and his consciousness 
was supreme. Again he wrote, and again he whispered 
the wishes of his heart. 

" As came the eventide, so came his last night. Frotn 
out of that chair wherein he had sat and sulTered, and 
wrote and prayed, tenderly he was carried to that coucli 
from which he was never to rise. Around him we gatli- 
ered and bowed in prayer to commend his departing 
spirit to the mercy of Him who gave it. He answered 
in monosyllables to questions for his comfort. The braiu 
was the last to die. All were watchers on that memor- 
able night. Recognitions were exchanged. A peacelu 
death and consciousness to the last breath were grant.^1 
unto him. The last night had passed. 

" 'Tis morning. The stars have melted into the coming 
licht. The rosy-fingered morn lifts the drapery of the 
nic^ht. The distant mountains stand forth aglow. he 
soft, pure light of dawn covers earth and sky. 1 - 
dew-drop sparkles on the grass and m the <^-.- "l ' 
The birds from their sylvan coverts carol the melodv of 



594 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

a thousand songs. The world rejoices, and its many 
minstrels challenge the harpers of the sky. In a humble 
cottage, prone upon his couch, lies ' our old commander.' 
He is dying ! 

''Tis morning, and in the light of that day thousands 
of earnest faces flush with renewed concern. From many 
a shaded lane and mountain slope, from many a farm- 
house and splendid mansion, eager eyes look toward the 
mount of suffering and breathe a prayer to God for the 
one we loved. Alas ! he is dead. 

"'Tis morning. It is the promise of a brighter day. 
The trumpeters of the sky are sounding the reveUle. 
Their notes have reached the earth. Their notes have 
reached our General's ear. He has gone to join the 
triumphant host. 'Tis morning in Heaven ! " 

At the conclusion of the services arrangements for 
the removal of the remains were promptly made. 

Two buglers playing the "Dead March" preceded 
Company A, of the Fifth, after whom marched Under- 
taker Merritt. Then came, two by two, Dr. Newman 
and Bishop Harris and Drs. Douglas and Agnew. The 
rich velvet of the heavy casket gleamed and the polished 
silver glittered in the bright sunshine, as it was borne by 
twelve"" members of U. S. Grant Post of Brooklyn— Col- 
onel W. H. Barker, Major B. R. Corwin, Dr. George W. 
Brush, Reese B. Twillem, J. P. Howatt, Commander 
John H. Johnson, Henry W. Knight, R. F. Mackellar, 
George J. Collins, Noah Tibbetts and George B. Squires. 
The sons, Colonel Fred, Ulysses, and Jesse, followed the 
coffin, and General Sherman came as a friend of the 
family, without attention to his military rank. General 
Hancock followed with Admiral Rowan; Admiral Timo- 
thy H. Stevens with General Rufus Ingalls ; the staff 
officers; Senators Evarts and Miller; M. J. Cramer, ex- 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES AM 

minister to Denmark; Mrs. Corbin, a sister of General 
Grant; U. S. Grant, second son of Orville Grant; Pay- 
master Sliarpe, U. S. A., and wife, Mrs. Grant's sisti-r; 
ex-Postmaster-General Creswell and wile; e.\-Si,"crctarv 
of State Hamilton Fish; General Horace Porter, and 
others. 

The escort drew up in line. The casket was canii-d 
into the centre of the observation car, the outside of wliicli 
was entirely covered with bhick cloth. The engine, the 
'•J. W. Drexel," was also hung with black cambric. The 
escort filed in, the rest of the party followed, and tiie train 
started promptly on time, nothing having occurn'il to 
cause any change of the carefully-arranged i)rogrannne. 

The train proceeded slowly down the mountain, and 
it was 1.48 p. M. when its arrival at Saratoga was an- 
nounced by the firing of a gun by a detail sent from tin- 
Watervliet Arsenal at Troy. 

The funeral train of the New York Central was in 
waiting. Every one of the nine cars was completely 
covered with black, leaving not an inch of the woodwork 
above the wheels visible. After the baggage car came 
the funeral car of the road, the *' Woodlawn," with «'very 
provision for the casket and the guard. The rest of the 
train was occupied by the party in the same order as 
down the mountain, with the exception that the guard 
was placed in the rear car. Three or four thousand 
people witnessed the transfer. Members (.f Wht'.-lrr 
Post presented arms as the train slowly moved tlin.unh 
their line, while a company of the Twenty-second regi- 
ment was posted a few paces oil' on the other side of tlie 
track. The train moved slowly through the town. an<l 
shortly after two o'clock quickened its speed and ^^ as ..iT 

for Albany. 

The train took more than the u.^ual time for tin- run 



596 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

from Saratoga to Albany, using an hour and a half, and 
passing through the towns on the way at half speed. 
Superintendent Voorhees had placed a man at every 
switch or crossing on the line, and rode in the cab of the 
engine himself The time of the train was known, and 
all along the whole forty miles people had gathered to 
see it pass. At Ballston many flags were draped, and a 
thousand people lined the tracks. The school and church 
bells tolled sixty-three, the age of the General, and a sa- 
lute of thirteen guns was fired as the train passed through. 
At Round Lake another thousand were in waiting, and 
the train was slowed up enough to permit those on board 
to witness a striking tableau — a lady dressed in mourn- 
ing, leaning upon a flagstaff, with the flag draped and 
holding out a victor's wreath, while two veterans of the 
Grand Army of the Republic stood on either side. 

At Mechanicsville emblems of mourning were seen, 
and the crowd was even greater. A gun was fired to 
mark the departure of the train, and when it reached 
Waterford it seemed as if there was danger of loss of life, 
so closely did the crowd press upon the tracks. At 
Cohocs, where the road runs for a long distance through 
the thickest part of the town, it appeared as if there 
were fully ten thousand people pushing each other for a 
glimpse of the cortege, crowding the freight cars along- 
side, and filling the windows of the mills. Looms were 
stopped and spindles ceased to revolve as the operators 
with one accord rushed to the doors and windows. 

As the train rolled into the depot at Albany at 3.40 
o'clock, Mr. Voorhees stepped down from the cab of the 
engine. " From the first movement of the train from 
Saratoga to this instant," he remarked to one who had 
ridden on the train, " you have heard no sound from bell 
or whistle." 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 697 

r 

■ There was little time lost in formin^^ tiic line as s<hjii 
as the casket had been transferred to the rimcral coIimhh, 
which was in motion in less than hall" an hour. thuii;:h it 
was necessary for General Hancock and all his .>^ta^' to 
mount horses strange to them and go to the head of the 
line. 

The procession was pronounced by all the fniest tiiat liad 
ever been seen in this city. It was strong in nuinlx'i-s, 
brilliant in its personnel, and impressive in movt'inent. 
General Hancock, with his stafi', at the hrad, followed 
immediately by Major-General Joini G. Farns worth, tlie 
chief marshal, and his aides, and then Major-General 
Joseph B. Carr, connnanding the First Division of the 
National Guard, with his full staff, made a most imposing 
appearance, all being well mounted and equipi)ed with 
uniforms glittering with gold braid. The funeral car wa.s 
thirteen feet in height, and through its sides the gorgeous 
casket could be plainly seen, even by those pressed so f ir 
back on the sidewalks that they could see oidy the head-3 
of the marching column. The body-guard marcln-d in 
double file on either side, followed by the Senate and 
House of Assembly. 

At 5.30 the capitol was reached, and in perfect order 
every movement was made until the casket was in plaox; 
and the features of the hero were ready for obsi-rvation. 
During the first four hours it is estimated that 27.IH>0 
persons viewed the remains. Shortly after i-k-vcn <> clock 
A. M., on Wednesday, August oth, the funeral proiv.sMon 
was reformed in Albany, and the march was taken up to 
the New York Central Depot amid the booming of cann.)n 
and through densely-packed streets. The casket was 
placed in the funeral car, and the train started at pre- 
cisely 12.30 o'clock to carry General Grant on his last 
journey. On the roofs of the houses in the vicnuty 



598 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

hundreds witnessed the start, and as the black trahi 
rumbled across the long bridge of the Hudson, it was be- 
tween two dense lines of people who filled the footpaths 
on either side. There was no clang of bell, no scream of 
whistle — only the dull rumble of the wheels beneath the 
memorable train. Across the river were crowds of people. 
The shops and stores and factories had closed their doors 
to business. All who work and those of leisure seemed 
to have come out to stand with uncovered heads to be 
part of a scene never again to be enacted. The long, 
sweeping curve was rounded, and the black train straight- 
ened out level with the Hudson on its way to the me- 
tropolis. 

On down the splendid river that sparkled in the sun- 
light the train rumbled at twenty miles an hour. At 
every rural road-crossing groups of plain, sad-faced people 
stood and watched. Hudson's iron furnaces sent up 
black columns of smoke ahead in the distance. Hudson 
then came closer and was reached at 1.27 p. m., just fifty- 
seven minutes from the start. It, too, paid its respects 
to the passing dead, with hundreds of persons at the sta- 
tion, which was draped with mourning, and the report of 
a gun was heard somewhere back on the hills. The 
Catskills w^ere whirling nearer and nearer as the train 
rolled onward. The ^jurple sliadows under the brow of 
the mountains to which the illustrious dead had thought 
to journey this very month were deepening as the clouds 
sailed higher into the blue sky. Away across the river, 
on the foothills of the Catskills, a hotel, heavy with flags 
and dense with forms of people, grew into view. . 

The station of Catskill w\as just ahead. A gun boomed 
a salute and a white puff of smoke floated out over the 
river. There were many people along the tracks on 
either side. The little station with mourning tokens 



FUNERAL OBSEC^UIKS. SB 

hurried by ; the speed was increasing, but the long, dark 
train swept around curves and over levels steadily and 
smoothly. Out on the river there were many little'lxialM 
and launches and some yachts with ensiirns tipjR'd with 
black. Each bore people with heads uncovered, and all 
these tokens of respect were not unheeded by the mourniTH 
of the dead, while most of the time they sat in .silence with 
their eyes upon the river and the mountain p<-ak.s 
beyond. 

Poughkeepsie was coming in view around the curven, 
where the little pilot engine occasionally could \xi seen 
with its ten minutes' headway. Rhinobeck had gone bv 
at 2.13 p. M., Staattsburg at 2.22 i>. m., Hyde Park at \iM 
P. M., and when the train rolled through the throngs at 
Poughkeepsie the dial marked 2.45 p. m., and the funeral 
train was on time. 

A little later, as Newburg was passed, the nionii tains 
westward were enveloped by clouds tiiat poun-d ijdwn 
rain. At Fishkill, which was passed on time at .').l I. a 
black-bordered banner was seen near tlte tracks, and u|m.l 
it the words: ''The great Captain is dead." Just in the 
shadows of the old Storm King, at Cornwall, a steandxjat 
from New York, loaded with people, was seen following 
the train. Cold Spring had been passed at o.21. and 
West Point was only six minute away. Colonel (Jrant. 
General Porter and other persons in the car took seats on 
the river side. The river was being ruflled as the train 
bore down among the highlands, and soon cuiling crests 
of white foam rode the increasing waves. Filmy .^carfs 
of mist trailed down the mountain side above We.st Point. 
Deep reverberations of thunder echoed among the nu.un- 
tains. The storm had centred directly above the military 
post, but the river was not yet touched by the rain that 
had obscured the tops of the mountains and was sweeping 
down their sides. 

3R 



600 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

The train rolled on and was passing through the deep 
cut just north of Garrison's, which is the railway station 
for West Point. Suddenly the report of a cannon shook 
the heavy atmosphere. The train's speed lessened grad- 
ually as it emerged from the cut, and hundreds of people 
were seen lining the way on either side. Then, at 3.27, 
the train rolled slowly past the little station at Garrison's, 
and there was shown the tribute from his old student 
home to the dead soldier. Along the line of the railway 
before the station the cadets from West Point were drawn 
up in line at " present arms." All the officers of the post 
were near with uncovered heads, and the band from the 
post, with muffled drums, was playing " Sweet Spirit, 
hear my Prayer." The strains were not loud, but sub- 
dued, and they blended with the muttering thunder over 
the. river, on the mountains, where the storm had swept 
down to the Hagstaff tip that shot up from the trees, and 
all the while, at intervals of five seconds, came the sound 
of a gun. As the little station passed out of sight and 
the strains from the band had died away, a view across 
the river disclosed bright Hashes, quick belching of smoke, 
and then, as soon as sound could travel, the booming 
sound of another gun smote the ear. The salute was 
being fired from the river shore at the foot of the bluff 
which is crowned by the garrison. 

The funeral train had again quickened speed, but it 
was overtaken by the storm, which prevailed with much 
force for ten minutes. Then the clouds broke, the rain 
ceased and the sunlight was again on the mountains. 
The Palisades were passed, and at 4.37 the black train 
swept around the curve and left the Hudson behind. 
Rain was again falling on the Harlem river. At High 
Bridge, a splendid vantage ground for observation, there 
were few people. When the train passed the Atalanta 




601 



602 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Boat Club's house on the river the flag was dipped. The 
junction was rounded at 4.48, and the funeral train had 
made its last curve. Down through Harlem and the tun- 
nel the heavy train rumbled toward the city. Emerging 
from the tunnel, the train made a flying switch and rolled 
on to its stopping point. Slowly it stopped, but at length, 
as the Grand Central clock dial marked five o'clock, it 
was still and on time. General Grant's last journey was 
ended, and from the start there had been no clang of bell 
nor sound of whistle of the locomotive. 

The depot had been cleared of all save a dozen or two 
reporters, a brigade of policemen and the railroad offi- 
cials, who stood at the lower end of the building awaiting 
the train's arrival. Overhead, underneath the gilded 
letters naming the Central Railroad directors, a long bal- 
cony was filled with ladies and gentlemen, many of the 
former being clad in the brightest apparel, giving the 
somewhat sombre scene just the color required. There 
were ten cars to the funeral train, each completely envel- 
oped in mourning, the heavy drapings caught up at the 
windows with black rosettes, the funeral car " Woodlawn'* 
distinguished by its single broad door and the heavy 
panels of crape which lined its sides. The party had the 
station completely to themselves as the long train came 
to a standstill, and General Horace Porter, wearing a 
military slouch hat, with a Grand Army badge in the left 
lappel of his coat, was the first to alight. He was accom- 
panied by Quartermaster-General Hodges, who had charge 
of the transportation, and Captain Ward, of General Han- 
cock's staff*. It was not a moment before the members of 
the Citizens' Committee of One Hundred, all wearing dark 
suits, with crape on their arms and black bands about 
their tall white hats, were pouring out of one of the rear 
cars and forming in line for the procession. Then Gov- 



FUNERAL OBSEQUIKS. ^ 

ernor Hill and his staff, coven-d with ;:old l^rr, tlicir 
showy uniforms standing out in marked rcli(>f a-aiii^t tlif 
black train, and the regular army troops, tli(Mr hri-hl. 
polished rifle barrels shining in tlio weltM.mc snnjijrl.t] 
filed out upon the platform, while the guard ..f ]„u,„r 
was busy opening the doors for the egress of tlu- c.niM. 
There was no occasion for word of command as tlir rich 
purple casket, with its silver trimmings, was handed out 
on to the shoulders of the twelve stalwart soldiers await- 
ing its reception. Every head was mieovcred as, with 
solemn step, the coffni bearers marched tin-ough the 
throng down the long lines of policemen and across the 
long platform to the station doors. The huge black cata- 
fiilque, with its twelve black horses, stood in Torty-third 
street just opposite the main entrance. The coffin wjus 
borne through the long line of troops and placed securely 
in its position, while the great mass of people whicJi lined 
the sidewalks back of the well-preserved i)olice lines 
spontaneously uncovered their heads and waitecl for the 
procession to start. General Hancock and liis staff gal- 
loped forward at the headof tlie line; regiment after reg- 
iment of the National Guard, their arms at reverse and 
their colors in mourning, fell regularly into lin<', ami. 
amid the rolling of mufllcd drums and tlie tolling of i>ellrt, 
the great pageant moved slowly down the aveinie. 

It was nearly seven o'clock when the head of the pnn 
cession reached City Hall Square. Then (Icneral Il.in- 
cock, with his gilded staff cantering behind, rode into 
the plaza and to the front of the City Hall. There he 
dismounted, his staff saluted and drew up iu line opj)o«<it'i 
the main entrance. Then came a troop of regular art illery, 
without guns, their red plumes noddimi bright airainst the 
wet green of the trees, as they, too, «]rove up in line. 
The white coats and helmets of the Twenty-.second n\gi- 



604 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

ment next swung across the plaza with arms reversed, 
and were drawn up to receive the honored dead. A car- 
riage next arrived, from which Dr. Douglas, Rev. New- 
man and General Horace Porter alighted. The twelve 
black horses drawing the funeral car were then led in 
front of the City Hall. The undertaker's assistants 
placed a black stairway against it and the Grand Army 
guard of honor from Grant Post of Brooklyn ascended to 
the car, reverently lifted the sacred burden and bore it 
into the building. During their progress the Twenty- 
second regiment presented arms, a band played a dirge 
and a bugle rang out from the steps with mournful note. 

As soon as the casket had been placed beneath the 
canopy thirteen members of U. S. Grant Post took their 
stations, six at each side and one at the head. They stood 
like statues, their gaze concentrated on their charge. 
Sharing their watch were seven members of the Loyal 
Legion, of whom the ranking officer was Brigadier-Gen- 
eral J. S. Mallaw. General Hancock had now delivered 
the remains to the municipal authorities, in whose charge 
they were to remain initil ten o'clock on Saturday morning. 

Before opening the gates for the public view the body 
was prepared in a private room, and when in position the 
Mayor and a few other special guests viewed it in silence. 
At 9 p. M. the public was admitted until 1 A. M., when 
the gates were closed for the night. 

The decorations at the City Hall were very elaborate 
and yet in most excellent taste. The effect was richly 
sombre. The corridor into which the iron front gates 
ojien was completely shrouded in black, which was fluted 
across the ceiling and drawn over the walls and about 
the pillars to the floor. Over the marble pavement rub- 
ber matting was laid, and was covered with black varnish, 
and thus the corridor looked like the interior of a black 




806 



606 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

cube. In the centre tlie canopy which was to cover the 
remains was placed. Four carved posts of mahogany 
supported an arched roof of black silk, lined with white. 
Curtains of black silk, heavily fringed, hung from the 
top, and were drawn toward the posts by heavy silk 
cords. The platform supporting the canopy, and on 
which the casket was to rest, was covered with black. 
At its foot was a heavily-framed bronze medalHon of the 
dead General. A line of purple within its black frame 
was the only other color to be detected in the whole cor- 
ridor. Two rows of massive square columns, also swathed 
in black, were back of the corridor, and between them 
one passed to the space beneath the dome and before the 
circular stairway. Here, too, all was black. 

In the centre of all, upon the first landing of the stair- 
way, a black pedestal supported a bronze bust of Grant. 
A golden eagle just beneath his bosom was covered with 
black illusion, and a golden wreath had been placed across 
its outstretched wings. Two electric lights depending 
from the dome cast their white glare upon the bust. 
Directly above, standing in an open corridor which runs 
around the dome, was placed the beautiful floral tribute 
of the Women's Relief Corps of New York and Brooklyn. 
This is a tall clock composed of white and purple im- 
mortelles, smilax and roses. The hands on the dial in- 
dicate the hour at which the General died — eight minutes 
past eight. Beneath the dial are the dates 1822-1885. 
This floral clock and the bronze bust were here, too, the 
only objects not black. Sable cloth covered everything, 
but ceased where the arch of the dome began above, and 
the white marble thus exposed afforded a beautiful con- 
trast. Back of the stairway were two passages, also 
covered with black, which led to the rear of the hall. 

All day Thursday and all day Friday unbroken throngs 



FUNERAL OIlSIX^riKS. 0^^ 

passed the casket and gazed on tlie honored face of thr 
dead chieftain. Tiieir double lino at one time extended up 
Broadway a mile and a half, reaching to Grand htrt't-t and 
moving at lock-step. It is estimated that on Tliurwluv 
alone 150,000 persons viewed the remains. 

As the day of burial drew near it became more iiixi 
more evident that the chief management of the itnjM)sinir 
obsequies had been rightly placed in the hands of the 




MAJOR-GENERAL WINFIELD S. TIAXrOCK. 

illustrious soldier, General Hancock. Kvery detail wm* 
attended to with masterly precision. His aides were all 
military men, thoroughly competent to do tlieir jut.signed 
duties. There was no uncertainty or dallying at any 
point. Everything was clear and decisive. The confi- 
dent expectations of a successful pageant were ivnlized. 



608 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

Early on Saturday morning, August 8th, New York 
and its surroundings were astir. Throngs of people 
crowded into Broadway, Fourteenth street, Fifth avenue. 
Fifty-seventh street and the Boulevard, making a dense 
and continuous mass from the City Hall to the Riverside 
Park, a distance of nine miles. The dark clouds of the 
early morning broke a.way and sunshine flooded the 
scene. The start was made promptly and every move- 
ment was with most perfect precision. 

The passing pageant, as seen from an eligible point on 
Fifth avenue, was thus pictured by an accomplished jour- 
nalist of the New York Times : 

" A murmur ran through the gathered multitude and 
every head bent forward. The captains spoke sharply 
and a thousand lifted muskets glittered together. A 
guide is posted to the rear and the long line moves 
steadily back to a new position, the file closers touching 
the front of the crowd. 

" There he came — Hancock — a gallant figure of war, 
proud and unbending as on that deadly day at Spottsyl- 
vania. With him Lee, Rodgers, Gordon, Stevens, Bar- 
num. Porter — what a lot of glories they summoned — and 
twenty other heroes in his train. Then the soldiery of 
our State, of which every heart is proud, swept by in 
broad platoons to the solemn rhythm of the ' March in 
Saul.' From Fourteenth street into the avenue poured a 
ceaseless river of light, whose ripf)les rose and fell and 
caught the sun again, now shadowed, now glorious ; the 
gleam of button and breastplate, the shimmer of cross- 
belt and plume, the radiance that poured from the line 
of steel — crimson and azure and gold in masses ever 
nearing and brighter; the glint of the musket and flash 
of the scabbard, the splendor that rested on the howit- 
zer's burnish, the Gatling's cold gleam, the soft sheen of 







MOURNING DECORATIONS OX r.KOADU A V, M.\S V 



609 



610 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

the guidon and the regiments' colors. In the distance the 
streaming glory was as soft as the silver of moonlight 
upon wind-swept waters, but as wave after wave of the 
music swelled upward and louder it broadened and grew 
till a sunburst rolled by in that pageant of war. 

" It was the solemnity of homage that moved in that 
stately array. The scarlet of the flag was dimmed in its 
veihng, the drums were shrouded, the arms reversed and 
the saucy marker a flutter of crape. White, red, gray and 
blue, the battalions passed, but not an eye sought the be- 
holders and not a hand was raised to acclaim them. 
Sturdy young ranks they were, the best material a country 
could boast as defenders. But few have seen the field 
with its glories and horrors — they have yet to face its ter- 
rible flame — but they have the records of Grant and Lee, 
Sherman and Jackson, Sheridan and Johnston, Thomas 
and Longstreet, Hancock and Buckner to tell them, when 
occasion comes, what the American soldier can do. And 
so they passed, the legions of New York, Pennsylvania, 
Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Georgia. Minnesota. 
New Jersey and the District of Columbia — all martial and 
reliant; for east or w^est, north or south, the soldier of 
this flag is the same. The van passed upward and over 
the hill and beyond ; for two hours the platoons, in close 
order, had gone rapidly by, and yet from Fourteenth 
street up was the same harmonious flowing of sparkle and 
color. The assembly that watched had not moved. It 
was not satisfied. It saw in this tide of splendor only the 
glory of a recollection of the past, the reflection from an 
achievement that would still burn like a sun when these 
accoutrements were rust. And so thev stood in the glare 
and gazed on the passing. It had been one unbroken 
current of melody and gorgeous columns. Band suc- 
ceeded band and regiment regiment in quick succession,. 



FUJMEKAL OB.SKQUIKS. 



611 



but the pulse of the drums beat to the .same sa.l Htnui.. 
and the downward weapons and trailin- standards told 
the same solemn story. But now a l.rigade tHnl hy and 
there was emptiness and a hush. 

" The dead Conqueror. 

" There, under a canopy as of night, where the sun 
kissed the purple and silver that hid him, he came— nut 
leading, but led; not victorious, but himself surrendered. 
From the throats of flute and clarionet and tuba the sigh.s 
and sobbings of the nation were voiced in softest, saddest 
music, but no heart could be struck deeper than by the 
sight of that reverent blackness that bore him ;ls a cloud. 
Around him the men who had shared his suffering and 
his honors from Palo Alto to Appomattox; the Chief 
Magistrate and the honored of the people were in his 
train; the great captains he had launched like thunder- 
bolts against the foe were with him again ; the hero wlio 
gave him the sword of Donelson, the victor at Seven 
Pines, the strong chief who yielded only with Virginia's 
knightliest son, these accompanied him too; statesmen, 
orators, men of power whose lives are history, followed; 
but the eye only saw that place of rest under the shadowB 
of the flag he loved so well. The place of teeming thou- 
sands was stilled as by the awe of a tem})le as this greatest 
of the great went onward to his grave. The universal 
gaze was drawn at the first herald of his coming; it fol- 
lowed steadftistly until distance had shut its gates ujmju 
the view; even after all had gone it still lingen-d. Then 
the rattle of many wheels, as the mourners and delegates, 
ambassadors and companions, joined the line. Half a mile 
of these and then strode tlie comrades of his camps and 
battles. 

"Of the thousands whose dearest ^vish was to U' with 
him this day these had been chosen. They came from 



612 LIFE OF GENERAJ. GRANT. 

a hundred glowing fields. That white-haired man's once 
strong shoulder helped lift that howitzer trained by the 
young Lieutenant from the belfry at Chapultepec ; that 
veteran behind was among the first under the walls of 
Henry ; the limp of the next is a remembrance of 
Huger's last shell at Manasses ; his companion pulled the 
lanyard of Ricketts first gun ; that sleeve has been empty 
since the recoil of the gray billows hurled upon Thomas 
at Chickamauga ; yonder a red scar burns in proud mem- 
ory of the hour at Aldie when Kilpatrick rode down with 
a whirlwind of death ; six there, shoulder to shoulder, are 
marching as steadily as they marched under the thunders 
of Lookout; the one hand of that proud-eyed giant 
planted the color at Mission Ridge; that drummer beat 
the rally on the river banks at Shiloh. All heroes — all 
worthy of the man they obeyed and followed. 

" Onward to the old Commander's grave. His last 
march was nearing the final camp. At last came the 
halt, and through the ranks of his resting soldiers, as 
many a time before when he had approved them for their 
valor, he passed to his couch. For the last time the light 
of earth rested upon his coffin ; then he was shut away. 

" Now in the hush was the murmur of ascending invo- 
cation to the God of Battles and the God of Peace that 
after his toil and pain, his long vigil and patient en- 
durance, this sentinel might find rest. 

" Hark ! through the stillness the low, sweet notes 
of the soldier's good-night. Put out the lights — the great 
doors were closed and no eye beheld him but that of his 
God. Now leaped from the mouths of a hundred guns 
the red gleam and the thunder and cloud of the salute. 
From the hill the angry muzzles shot their clamors and 
the battle-cloud billowed and rolled above the pennons 
and spars of the answering river. Land and sea spoke 
their highest tribute. The soldier was at rost." 



FUNERAL <)J5S|.:(^i;||,:s. y,j 

The pall-bearers on this great occasion, Melccted hy 
the President on request of General (nant's fainih , u.-iv 
the following distinguished soldiers and citizens: 

General W. T. Sherman, 

General P. H. Sheridan, 

Admiral D. D. Porter, 

Vice-Admiral S. C. Rowan, 

General S. B. Buckner, 

General J. E. Johnston, 

*Hon. Hamilton Fish, 

Hon. George S. Boutwell, 

Senator John A. Logan, 

George W. Childs, 

Oliver Hoyt, 

George Jones, 

A. J. Drexel. 

*Mr. Fish being unable to serve on account of sickncjiti, Mr. A. 
J. Drexel was appointed iu his place. 



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